The fourth child of Lakin’s founding father, John O’Loughlin, and his bride, Mary, was a strong advocate for Lakin and for veterans. Familiarly known as Jack, John Charles O’Loughlin was born in 1888 and attended school at Lakin. He then went to St. Mary’s College at St. Mary’s, Kansas where he received high honors and graduated in June of 1908 from the English Commercial department. Jack returned to Lakin, and in 1910, he and his older brother, Will, began running their father’s mercantile business on the corner of Main and Waterman under the name, “O’Loughlin Brothers.”
Jack had many friends and was well known throughout the area. Not only did he play on the local baseball team, but he also managed teams in Lakin and surrounding towns. Jack also played on the town football team. Wherever he went, he was a proud booster for the growth of Lakin and for those who served our country.
In July 1918, Jack left Lakin to answer our country’s call during World War I. He wrote home from Fort Riley in August that he had passed all examinations, and by November 1, Jack was overseas where he was assigned to the medical department of the war. He took care of the sick and wounded at Camp Hospital No. 12 in Dannes-Camiers, France. Notes from Jack often appeared in the Advocate, and no matter the circumstances, his attitude was one of optimism.
“Jack O’Loughlin, writing the Advocate from “over the big drink,’ says he is in the best of health, enjoying army life to the limit, and everything quiet as a May morning, and sends kind regards to his friends.”
Upon his return, Jack was back with Will running the mercantile business, and the brothers also had charge of the O’Loughlin’s livestock and farming interests. Jack married Josephine Schwarz at Wilson in 1922. The bride, a graduate of the University of Kansas, was a teacher. Upon their arrival in Lakin, the newlyweds were greeted by their many friends and chivareed in quite an unusual fashion. Jack and Josephine were loaded into an old buckboard coupled to a Ford then “driven at a high rate of speed over town.” The O’Loughlins had two daughters, Patricia and Josephine, and in 1928 the family moved to Garden City where Jack was in the farm implement business. He later went into insurance.
Jack’s dedication to his fellow comrades was unparalleled. He was a charter member and served as commander of the Sheppard-Moore post of the American Legion here at Lakin, and O’Loughlin was a delegate to the 1924 and 1928 national Legion conventions. He was given high praise for his untiring work in making the local post one of the “best in the west.” After moving to Garden, Jack served as the adjutant of the Harry H. Renick post of the American Legion there. He helped organize and was a charter member of the John J. Haskell Veterans of Foreign Wars post and served several terms as its commander as well as commander of the Eighth VFW district. When the McAfee-Stebens Post was organized in Lakin on February 6, 1946, Jack was the Comrade District Commander who conducted the official election for the post’s first officials. From 1936 to 1938, he served as commandant of the Old Soldiers’ Home at Ford Dodge.
Jack was also involved with Lions Club, Elks Club, Knights of Columbus and the Old Settler’s Association. He was very prominent in Democratic politics and was a member of the Democratic central committee of Finney County for many years.
Jack O’Loughlin died unexpectedly in February 1948. The 59-year-old had been admitted to the Halstead hospital several days prior to his death, but his condition had not been considered serious. He had, however, been in poor health for several years.
SOURCES: History of Kearny County Vols. I & II, archives of the Advocate and Lakin Independent, and Museum archives.