Larkins Family Lot at St. Joseph's Cemetery

The Larkins Family lot is in Section C, Row 27 of St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery located at Mills and Seneca Streets on the western side of Sandusky, Ohio. On a low, long stone is the surname LARKINS. (The name is engraved on the side of the stone which faces toward the west.)On either side of this stone are tombstones with have no names on them, just the words Father and Mother on the top of the stones. (It is very difficult to read the inscriptions on the stones, as they are badly worn.) Click here for a larger view.













The tombstone of Will Larkins is the first stone on the left, while facing the Larkins lot looking to the east. William Larkins was the son of Patrick Larkins and Bridget Ryan Larkins. He died at the age of 19 of consumption. His funeral was held at the home of his brother, Thomas F. Larkins. The following obituary for William Larkins appeared in the November 29, 1893 issue of the Sandusky Register.














The tombstone of Dan Larkins is the tallest stone in the family lot. Daniel Larkins was the oldest son of Patrick and Bridget Larkins, born in 1859. Dan died on August 1, 1880 at the age of 21. Articles about the death of Daniel Larkins were carried in the August 3 and August 4, 1880 issues of the Sandusky Register. The first article reported that on the Sunday night of his death, it was the first time that young Dan had ever stayed away from home without letting his parents know where he was. "It is clearly evident that he got into bad company," is how the newspaper explained what happened. Dan Larkins went out with his friends, and had several drinks. Late that night, Dan fell out of a window at the Germania house, a Sandusky tavern, and he fell to his death on the sidewalk. It must have broken his parents' hearts to lost a son in this tragic accident.

The tombstone which is the last one on the right of the Larkins lot belongs to little Edwin Larkins. Edwin was the son of Thomas F. and Mary Louise Larkins, and the grandson of Patrick and Bridget Larkins. He died on March 29, 1892 at the age of 2 1/2. His parents would also lose a baby girl in infancy, Mildred Larkins died in July of 1898 at the age of 7 weeks. Two other children of Thomas and Mary Louise Larkins lived to adulthood, Irene and Thomas Arthur Larkins.

While cemetery records indicate that the tombstones of Patrick and Bridget Larkins are in Section E, and have been discussed in a previous blog post, it is possible that the Father and Mother tombstones are actually those of Patrick and Bridget Larkins, and that the couple buried in Section E could belong to a different Larkins family.

Many contemplative visits to the St. Joseph Cemetery have taken place as descendants have visited the tombstones of their ancestors through the years. The Larkins family lost several members of the family tree between 1880 and 1893. We wish we knew more details about the joys and sorrows of these folks of Irish descent who lived and died so long ago.