Carmen Larkin

Carmen Carlile Larkin, 98, formerly of Junction City, KS passed away at Kansas City Hospice House on April 6, 2012.

Carmen Carlile Larkin was born on an early fall day October 2, 1913 in a small home on the Kansas prairie where she lived her childhood until the family moved to the small country town of Jetmore. Growing up with four brothers made her both tender and tough and she became the sweetheart of small-town friends who happily joined her laughter, fun, and labor midst the great depression and dust bowl. At eighteen she was suddenly stricken by spinal meningitis and plunged into unconsciousness for many weeks while lying on the edge of death. Yet with incomparable courage, she overcame the illness much to the surprise of doctors as well as family and friends. She slowly struggled back to good health giving hope to others that they too could know a lifetime of joy and happiness.

She attended business school and found employment at the State Capitol in Topeka, Kansas where her desk was next to James Sylvester Larkin, the man of her dreams. They were married in McPherson, Kansas on May 20, 1941, and lived in the Junction City area all of their married life. They had two children, Jayme Larkin Tomlin of Shawnee, Kansas, and James Michael Larkin of Peabody, Massachusetts. Carmen was also blessed with an incredible son-in-law, Mike Tomlin and daughter-in-law, Teresa Ruka Larkin. She has five grandchildren, Tyler and Shari Jo Tomlin Brundige of Prairie Village, Kansas, T.J. Tomlin and Katrina of Ft. Collins, Colorado, Amanda, Bonnie, and Connor Larkin all living in Boston, Massachusetts. She has six great-grandchildren: Werner, Flynn, Syl, and Larkin Brundige of Prairie Village, Kansas, and Carlyle and Luella Tomlin of Ft. Collins, Colorado. Carmen was also blessed to be surrounded by loving nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and bridge buddies.

Her life was love and labor for her own family and friends doing helpful deeds for them far into an approaching century. She loved to make chili and pickles and surprise her friends with these gifts of love. In her later years she learned to crochet and made afghans and potato-chip scarves for everyone that she could. A heart of kindness and hands that touched with care, a smile of good cheer deepened a path of love known to all that no person could do more. She did it for 98 years. Her family and friends will miss her quick wit, her loving arms, and her ever-grateful heart. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Ola Carlile, her husband "Syl", and her four brothers, Eugene, Clark, Sene, and T.J. Carlile.

Visitation will be Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at Penwell-Gabel Johnson Chapel, 203 N. Washington Street from 6-9 p.m. with a celebration of her life at 7 p.m. and the vigil service at 8 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be Thursday, April 12, 2012 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Xavier's Catholic Church with Father Al Brungardt officiating. Burial will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery. Memorial contributions can be made to A Woman's Concern, 103 Broadway, Revere, MA 02151.