Sally Elaine Kirkham Larkin passed away September 22, 2026. She was born July 30, 1929, to Fern Alta Nielson and Denzil Washington Kirkham in Lehi, Utah. She spent her early childhood in Ephraim, Utah where her father worked at Gephart’s clothing store. In 1940 the family moved to Tremonton, Utah where she finished grade school. She attended Bear River High her freshman year and then Wasatch Academy, Mt. Pleasant, Utah for her sophomore and half of her junior year. Sally’s father passed away in 1945 which brought her back to Tremonton for the rest of her junior year. After her father’s death, the family moved to Holladay, Utah and she graduated from Granite High school in 1947. She met the love of her life, Joe Larkin, at Bear River High although they only went on one date.

Sally attended and graduated from BYU where she was very active in social units (sororities) and student government and committees. She was class vice president her senior year at BYU. She graduated in 1951 with a teaching degree. Joe did ask her out 3 more times the year he attended BYU. The majority of their courtship consisted of letters while on his mission.

Sally and Joe were married in the temple in Logan, Utah on July 16, 1951, and they immediately moved to San Diego, California for the navy. While in San Diego, she had two children. In 1955 She and Joe moved back to Logan Utah. She had two more children while Joe finished his degree at Utah State University. They settled in Tremonton, Utah where Joe taught school. One more child was born making Sally a very busy mother of five.

In 1968, the family moved to Snowville, Utah to run the Larkin family farm. Sally was asked to help at the Snowville Elementary school as an aide and thus started her teaching career. She began teaching in a one room school in Stone, Idaho in 1972, first through fourth grades. At the end of her 20 years of teaching, she was teaching first and second grades. She felt very famous when KSL TV did a story on the school, entitled “The Little, One-Room, Red Brick School House”.

Sally retired from teaching in 1992. She and Joe loved to travel and were fortunate to take many trips with friends and family. Joe passed away in 2017, and she continued to live on her own until just before her 96th birthday when she decided to move into Our House Assisted Living.

Sally is survived by her children, daughter Shauna (Oleen) Godfrey, Garland, Utah, son Bill (Carolyn) Larkin, Snowville, Ut, son Bruce Larkin, Brigham City, Ut, son Dean (Vicki) Larkin, Malad Id, daughter Shelly (Dan) Nielson, Tremonton, Ut, 17 grandchildren, 45 great grandchildren and 1 great great grandchild.

She is preceded in death by her husband Joseph W. Larkin, parents Denzil Kirkham and Fern Thomas and a brother Ronald Kirkham.

Funeral services for Sally will be held on Thursday October 1, 2026, at 12:00 pm at the Curlew Ward chapel, Snowville, Utah. A viewing will be held from 10:30 am to 11:30 am preceding the funeral. Interment will be at the Snowville Cemetery.

We would like to thank the wonderful staff at Our House Tremonton for taking care of “Miss Sally” and also Atlas Home Health Care and Hospice for their compassionate care.

Services are entrusted by Larkin Mortuary.