William O’Loughlin was quite the catch. He was athletic, handsome, smart and well-liked. At the age of 29, the eldest son of John and Mary O’Loughlin was elected to represent Kearny County in the 1915 Kansas State Legislature, and he and his brother Jack were running the general store that their father had built decades before. A young Grant County teacher by the name of Grace Blake won over Will’s heart, and the two were married in August of 1918 at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Kansas City.
The happy couple made their home in a “pretty” two-story house on Buffalo Street. The house had recently been remodeled, stuccoed and outfitted with electrical wiring. It was a new beginning for the home as well as for the newlyweds. The house had been built to house the Alonzo Boylan family over 40 years before when Lakin had few citizens and fewer buildings. In its early years, the home symbolized the hope of many Kearny County pioneers who envisioned prosperous futures and a great town springing up along the Santa Fe railway. It seemed only fitting that the son of Lakin’s founding father would make the dwelling his family home.
About 10 months into their marriage, William and Grace were “greatly elated” by the arrival of their firstborn, a 12-pound baby girl who they named Dorothy. In 1921, another baby girl was welcomed to the family, and she was given the name, Mary. Their family was made complete when baby brother, William Jr. or “Billie,” was added to the fold in 1922.
The senior William operated O’Loughlin Brothers general store until 1928 when the brothers sold it. William had already taken up farming and ranching by that time, and in 1931 he was elected to the office of county clerk. Grace became a civic leader and was influential in the organization of the Kansas Federation of Women’s Clubs. She devoted her time, talents and energy to her family, community and the Catholic Church.
Tragedy hit in 1933 when 10-year-old Billie was struck by lightning and died. The entire community mourned the loss of the little boy with a sunny disposition and considerate heart who was frequently called upon to settle playground disputes because of his fairness and honesty.
Three years later, William was appointed to the position of postmaster at Lakin. He retired from that position in 1943, and he was employed in defense work at the airbases at Victoria and Garden City during World War II. Active also in the Lions Club, Knights of Columbus and the Cattle Growers Association, William D. O’Loughlin passed away at the age of 73.
Grace was greatly traumatized by Billie’s death. She died at the age of 93 in 1983 at the Manor Nursing Home in Alma after a long illness. Both she and William are buried in the family plot at the Lakin Cemetery.
Their daughter Dorothy married Bert Sells in 1942. At her funeral in 2003, Dorothy’s children eulogized their mother for always putting her family first yet finding the time for others. She was an avid sports fan, enjoyed playing bridge and loved a good practical joke. Smart and well-read, the gentle-hearted Dorothy often wound up as the caretaker for the family’s many pets. She was living in Cincinnati, OH, at the time of her death.
William and Grace’s daughter Mary married John Walters in 1943. She too was active in church life and her community and loved K-State sports. Having grown up during the Great Depression, Mary had a deep sense of gratitude and a very generous nature. She was always proud of her beginnings, her Irish ancestry and her Catholic faith. A resident of Manhattan, KS, Mary died in January 2003, nine months before her sister Dorothy.
William and Grace’s home remained in the O’Loughlin family even after they moved out. In 1974, their home was deeded to the Kearny County Historical Society by William’s sister, Jennie Rose O’Loughlin, and the “White House” became the centerpiece around which the rest of the Kearny County Museum has grown.
SOURCES: Diggin’ Up Bones by Betty Barnes; History of Kearny County Vols. I & II; archives of The Advocate and Lakin Independent; and Museum archives which were contributed to by members of the O’Loughlin Family.