Doris B. Larkin, 88, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Monday, May 9, 2016, at her home.

Doris Bessie Meyer was born on the family farmstead on Feb. 22, 1928, to Ernest and Martha (Thurnau) Meyer near Fort Ripley, Minnesota, the fifth child of seven children. This homestead was later bought by the government and added to the Camp Ripley property. When Doris was 14 years old, her mother passed away and her father moved the family to Newburg, Oregon. Her father worked in the shipyards during World War II while two older brothers set up a trucking business. When WWII ended, Ernest Meyer moved the family back to the Brainerd, Minnesota area.

Doris was then able to come to Austin, Minnesota, to live with her uncle and aunt, Hewitt and Lottie Thompson, so she could complete her senior year of high school at Austin Central High School in 1946. While living with her aunt and uncle, her young cousin told a young neighbor man home on leave from the army about his beautiful cousin. The young man, Edward Larkin, met the beautiful cousin and the two fell in love and married in June 1947 at the Austin Methodist Church. To this union, three daughters, Linda, Annice and Marsha, were born. Doris worked at the Marigold Dairy, Mildred’s dress shop and Wallace’s department store. After Wallace’s closed she continued working past retirement age at the IGA, Cashwise and Hy-Vee grocery stores. She finally retired at the age of 86 from Hy-Vee in 2014.

Doris will be remembered for her great talent of sewing. When her children were young, she worked out of their home as a seamstress and made many beautiful garments for her customers and for her family. She was a perfectionist in her sewing and was highly regarded. In later years, she took up crocheting and left behind many gorgeous afghans and baby blanket sets for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. As a devout born-again Christian, Doris loved the Lord. During the many years she and her family attended Crane Addition Community Chapel, she taught Sunday School. In later years, she and her husband attended Grace Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Ed Larkin, her aunt and uncle, Lottie and Hewitt Thompson, two brothers Fritz Meyer and Robert Meyer and four sisters Lillian Turnquist, Lucille Hayes, Arlene Wermater and Lois Tuttle.

Survivors include her are her three daughters Linda (Michael) McGonigle and Annice Larkin, both of East Moline, Illinois, and Marsha (Lowell) Tangen, New Prague, Minnesota; her grandchildren Dan (Emily) McGonigle, Caledonia, Minnesota, Tara McGonigle (Tim Wilkosz), Basom, New York, Mesa (Stanley) Flowers, San Antonio, Texas, Katie (Jeffrey) Miller, Kindred, North Dakota, Alyssa (Adam) Conrad, Dundas, Minnesota; 18 great-grandchildren: Sahnje McGonigle, Seth McGonigle, Sean McGonigle, Nicholas Anderson, Mason Anderson, Ezra McGonigle, Evan McGonigle, Hannah McGonigle, Sierra Lozano, Christian Flowers, Elijah Flowers, Aiden Cornelius, Ethan Cornelius, Stevie Wilkosz, Naomi Miller, Maia Miller, Ivy Miller, Colton Conrad; special cousins David and Edith Thompson, Wilmore Ky and their children; special friend Maynard Burkett, Portland, Oregon, and numerous nephews and nieces.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 13, 2016, at the Worlein Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 12, 2016, at Worlein Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service on Friday. Interment will be in Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Worlein Funeral Home of Austin is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.worlein.com.