Thomas Arthur Larkins, 1894 - 1937

My great granduncle, Thomas Arthur Larkins, was the youngest child of Thomas F. Larkins and Mary Louise Cross Larkins, born in Sandusky on September 19, 1894. He was usually called Art, so people did not confuse father and son. When he was a teenager, Uncle Art worked at the bathhouse at the beach at Cedar Point. Mom often told us the story that once when my Great Grandma Irene wore a bathing suit that her brother didn't think was appropriate to the Cedar Point beach, Uncle Art made her go change clothes. He thought she had too much flesh showing for a proper young lady of her times! Thomas Arthur Larkins can be seen in the back row of his graduation class photo that appeared in Sandusky High School's yearbook, The Fram. Art is the third individual from the left, in the back row. He was rather short, and he had thick, wavy hair.

By 1916, Uncle Art had moved to Franklin County, Ohio, where he worked on the railroad. Art's father and grandfather both had worked on the railroad in Sandusky, Ohio, Grandpa Patrick Larkins on the old Mad River Railroad, and Grandpa Thomas F. Larkins on the New York Central Railroad. Art married Audrey Burrell, and they had a son named James A. Larkins in 1919. After Art and Audrey divorced, Art married a lady named Opal. Uncle Art died on December 21, 1937, at the age of 43. It seems so sad to me that he died before his older sister and his father, and at Christmas time! Thomas Arthur Larkins was buried at Greenlawn Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio. A few years ago, my brother took Mom and I to find Uncle Art's tombstone, but no stone remains. The office said that it is possible that at the time of his death, perhaps there was no stone erected, or that over the years it could have sunken beneath the ground. Mom left a bouquet of silk flowers at the spot that where we think Uncle Art was laid to rest. Rest in peace, Uncle Art!