John Larkin was born October 27, 1827 in Ireland and came to America
     whilel a small boy. He and his wife were married in St. Louis, Missouri
     about 1854. An early settler in Kansas, he lived on a farm near Lawrence
     when that town was raided by Quantrell's Raiders. The family lost all
     their property but managed to escape alive. He was a member of the Kansas
     State Militia during the war, but was never in the regular service. He
     and his family came to Barber County from Ellsworth. They settled in the
     Deerhead community.
        John's children were Sarah Jackson, Mary (Molly) McCormick, Anna Stewart
     and sons Pat, Jack, William, Henry, George and Charley.
        Sarah and Molly lived together after their husbands died. They lived in
     a little house just south of where the home of George Fritz is presently
     located. William, Henry and Charley were never married. Jack and George
     married sisters, Stella and Mary Kennedy. Jack and Stella made their home
     in Wichita. Goerge and Mary (Mayme) lived just north of Deerhead. Their
     sons, Charles, still lives there. In addition to their family, they raised
     two grandchildren when their parents died.
        Pat married Mary Flohr August 14, 1880. They had four sons and one
     daughter, Mary who married Willis Dunn. They ran the store and post office
     at Aetna, Kansas. Even though they had to haul everything they sold from
     Hardtner, Kiowa and Alva, there were few things you could ask for that 
     Mary couldn't come up with. After Mr. Dunn died, Mary continued to run the
     store until poor health forced her to close. She was a spry little person
     that no one ran over!
        Pat's son John married Zoa Myers. They lived at Deerhead and later at
     Sun City where they were engaged in farming. Their daughter, Aldythe,
     married Orland Quinby and they live in Denver as do John and Zoa.
        Ed married Winnie Cook. At one time Ed ran a butcher shop in Lake City.
     They had two daugthers, Kitty who married LaVern Robbins, and Edra who
     married Jack Cheshire. Ed and Winne were living on the Bill Heatherman ranch
     of Deerhead when Ed was killed by lightening. Kittie has two children, LaVeta
     McCune and Bob Robbins and four grandchildren. Edra has two sons, Ed and
     Rayford Cheshire, and grandchildren.
        Chester (Chet) married Irene Gibbs. They lived around Deerhead for a time,
     later moving to Wichita. Chet worked in the Orient machine shops. They had
     two children, Helen and Ethan. Irene is the only one of that family left.
     She still lives in Wichita.
        Nick married Della Helton, daughter of Sam and Mary Helton. The Heltons
     came to Kansas in a wagon train from Kentucky. Nick and Della lived in the
     Deerhead community where Nick farmed. In 1964 they sold the farm to Kelly
     and Rod Swayden and moved to Sun City. Their son Ernest married Mary Ellen
     Shepler and livers in Sun City. Don, who married LaVonia Gregory, lives in
     Wichita. Don works for the Coleman Company. Evah Mary is dead, as is her
     son, Mike.
        All of the Larkins attended schools in the Deerhead area. The men and
     boys of the community were great baseball fans, Sundays usually saw a
     game between Deerhead and Lake or Sun or some other community. Many a 
     romance started at these games. The mode of transportation was either
     horseback or in a buggy. With gas prices what they are, we may all have to
     travel that way again.    
                
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 272