Sean Mullikin

Sean L. Mullikin, 58, of Alton, passed away Wednesday, September 8th, 2021, following a lengthy illness.

Born March 30, 1963, in Clarinda, IA, the son of John and Rosemary (Davison) Mullikin, he was a 1981 honors graduate of Marquette High School and attended the University of Missouri at Columbia before pursuing his passion for antiquities. He was an urban archeologist with a particular interest in Colonial and Reconstructionist artifacts and stoneware and an unrivaled authority on Hutchinson soda bottles and antique glass. He co-authored his first book on the subject at 15 and was a consistent contributing writer for "Old Bottle Magazine". In his 20's he worked on the barges up and down the Illinois and Mississippi and enjoyed being on the river. During the 1990's he operated an antique store on State St. in Alton before moving to Jersey County, IL where he lived for many years before moving back to Alton. In addition to an encyclopedic knowledge of history and antiques, Sean was a gifted artist and woodworker, an avid outdoorsman who loved spending time hiking in the woods or arrowhead hunting in creek bottoms, and a lifelong "digger" of privies, cisterns, and abandoned buildings all over the country.

He leaves behind two daughters, Jessica (Adam) Andre, of Jerseyville IL, Erica "Annie" Mullikin and her partner Rob Centracchio, of Springfield, MA, two grandsons, Austin and Anthony Andre, both of Jerseyville, IL, his mother, Rosemary, a sister, Shannon (Chris) Inman of East Alton, two nephews 1st LT. Sean "Lumpy" Peters (Allison) stationed at Ft. Huachuca AZ, and Xane Peters, MD, of Chicago, and his best friend, Theo Adams, of Granite City, IL.

He was preceded in death by his father, John, and longtime partner, Carol McCoy.

Services will be held on Oct. 2nd, 2021, in Clarinda Iowa.