A group which has played an active part in the growth and progress of the Easley area is the Granger-Holcombe family. It is not a very large one but the fact that most of the descendants have remained and established homes in this vicinity has made it an important one in the social, civic and economic growth of the community.
Berry Claudia Holcombe, son of Cicero Franklin and Delilah Berry Holcombe, was born Dec. 5, 1866, and his wife, Rose Ella Granger Holcombe, daughter of Thomas Franklin and Mary Brissey Granger, was born April 15, 1866. They were married Jan. 8, 1884, and set up a home within a two-mile radius of where both were reared in the Georges Creek community.
Here you will find the homeplace where they brought up their family and where both died. Berry C on Jan. 22, 1919 and Rose Ella Feb. 19, 1924. Soon after this Christopher C. and Mattie Holcombe (a daughter) Grant bought the homeplace.
The two-story house is located about one mile from Easley City Limits, just off old Greenville Highway. It is well over 100 years old and was originally put together with wooden pegs and the chimneys and hearths are of hand hewn rock. The property is now owned by four of the grandchildren: Harold Grant, Martha Grant Williams, Thomas Grant and Bill Holcombe.
In addition to the name Holcombe, you will find descendants of this family who bear the name Griffin, Crawford, Kelley, Grant, Brown, Black, Peden, Givson, Webb, Turner, Ellenburg, Williams, Harling, Gilreath, Outz, Brooks, Gilstrap, McCue, Dunbar, Thompson, Major, Owings, Gambrell, Cothran, Wood, Riley, Mhore, Golightly, Taylor, Rollins, Catoe, Watson, Partridge, Meece, LaRoache and Bagwell.
Various locations have been used for the annual family reunion which was initiated in 1923 and not many years have gone by that has not found the family gathering someplace. The first one in 1923 was held at the Kay Mill Place, at that time the home of Robert Elliott (“Cap”) Holcombe Jr. (son of he founder of Easley) and Victrine Holcombe Holcombe (now Mrs. J. Ellis Crawford). Many reunions were held at the homeplace, several at public parks and in recent years, the home of Mr. and Mrs. J.O. Black in the Zion Community has been the scene of the gathering.
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