Down The Rabbit Hole: The Women of Talmadge 5 & 6

This story is written in tribute to Talmadge Historic Society Vice President, Cameron Lindsay-Hewett, who is being commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy’s Nurse Corps this June. Congratulations Cameron and thank you for your service!

This dig is about two single U.S. Navy nurses who bought homes next to each other on Jean Drive. Their homes were built by the same builder, John Lovett, and were completed the same month and year (August 1941). 

Widow Hilda Combes bought her home at 4748 Jean Drive. Hilda was born in 1895 and married Andrew Combes in 1926. Sadly, Andrew died in 1928 at the age of 45. He was a veteran of the Spanish American War. Hilda was widowed at 33 and never remarried.

In 1930, Hilda was a nurse in the Naval Hospital in Massachusetts. In 1940, she was a nurse at the Naval Hospital in San Diego. Shortly after she purchased her house in Talmadge the Second World War broke out. It appears she had to rent out her house until the war ended in 1945. She lived in the house briefly and retired from the Navy in 1947. Her rank at retirement was lieutenant commander in the Navy Nurse Corps. Sadly, like her husband, Hilda died very young. She passed away on December 25, 1950 (Christmas Day) in Albion, New York at the age of 55. She was from New York originally; therefore, I wonder if she had moved home or was visiting family for the holiday at the time of her death. She had no children.

The next owner of 4748 Jean Drive was also a distinguished naval officer by the name of Commander Richard M. Macfie. During his time on Jean Drive he won the Navy Secretary Medal, was decorated for improving the Navy’s nuclear warfare readiness and became commander of the Destroyer Southerland in 1967. He retired as a Captain in the US Navy and was a veteran of both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He died in 2016 at the age of 88.

San Diego Evening Tribune September 27, 1965

Divorcee N. Eva Wolfe bought her home at 4758 Jean Drive. Eva was also born in 1895 and was married to Gervase Taylor in 1919. By 1926, he was married to someone else. It appears she never changed her last name to Taylor. In 1930, like Hilda, Eva was a nurse in the U.S. Navy. She was stationed at Navy Shipyard Mare Island Naval Hospital in Vallejo, California.

After WWII, Eva retired from the Navy in 1946 as a First Lieutenant. Eva had a second career in the 1960s as a saleswoman for Willis Richardson Realty. I would interpret this to mean she was a realtor.

Eva was socially engaged.  She was an election poll worker in the 1950s and 1960s. She was involved in the Retired Officers’ Association, San Diego Woman’s American Legion Post and Women’s Overseas Service League.

Eva enlisted in the Navy in 1921. She retired in 1946 after 25 years of service. She gave to her country in both military service and social causes.

Eva is pictured in the San Diego Evening Tribune on May 25, 1960. She was in a car accident on Wabash Freeway near Imperial Avenue. She was driving with her friend when they were cut off by another car and then overturned. Eva is pictured lying on the ground to the left. She is 63 in this picture.

It is sad that she and Hilda were not able to enjoy being neighbors due to the outbreak of WWII and Hilda’s early death. It appears that Eva lived on Jean until her own death in 1985 at the age of 89. She is buried at Greenwood Memorial Park in San Diego.

Thank you for your service, Lieutenant Commander Combes and First Lieutenant Wolfe. We are grateful for your sacrifice to your country when your country and the world needed you the most. RIP