The Killian Family Newsletter
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The Killian Family Newsletter Volume 1, Number 2 — 1993 P u b l i s h e d T w i c e a Y e a r O U R P A S T P R E S E N T & F U T U R E CONTENTS: Page # Through the years I have served several terms as president, Reunions by Frances Killian Hampton 1 but it was during my vice-presidency that we celebrated the fiftieth The 1993 Killian Reunion 12 Sep 1993 3 reunion. That day I presided in the absence of the president, John Saint Kilian 3 Killian4464, and reminded those in attendance that we had learned a 1790 Census Data 4 lot about our ancestry since that first reunion in 1935 and that one Text of Andreas Killian Memorial 4 of those who had helped in research was Ray A. Killian2359 of Char- Please Help 4 lotte. Some years before he and his wife had traveled in Europe * ** * ** * where they visited the Killian Chapel in the city of Wurzburg, REMEMBERING REUNIONS AND OTHER THINGS Germany. This chapel, built over the grave of Saint Kilian was named for him after he, a Missionary Monk, had been murdered in ABOUT THE ANDREAS KILLIAN CLAN 689. Missionary Kilian was Roman Catholic, as were all Christians by: Frances Killian Hampton5707 Descendant of Andreas Through Samuel and churches until the Reformation of the fifteenth and sixteenth 51 61 centuries. 1 • Superscript numbers are for footnotes; look at the bottom of the column. In my personal research on Christianity, I came across a book Subscript numbers are explained in the first footnote below. (A HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, Williston Walker, It has been a long time since that first reunion of the Andreas 1970) in which there was some information on “Missionary Kilian”: Killian Clan held on 22 August 1935, at the Salem Lutheran and “Irish missionary efforts were carried to northern Reformed Church in Lincoln Co., NC. England, among the Anglo-Saxons of Northumbria. There, This church, as reported in OUR ENDURING PAST on the island of Lindisfarne, off the extreme northeastern (publication of the Lincoln Co. Historic Properties, Inc. in 1986), coast of England, a new Iona was established by Aidan, a “is one of the two oldest church structures in Lincoln Co. monk from Iona, in 634. Thence Christianity was widely It was built, as was Machpelah Presbyterian Church, in spread in the region by him until his death in 651, and 1840. The roots of this congregation, however, go back to afterwards by his associates. Columbanus, or Columba the late eighteenth century when it was organized by Ger- the Younger (543-615), became a monk of the celebrated man, Lutheran, and Reformed parishioners.” Irish monastery of Bangor, which was founded in 558 by This book further states that, “the congregation was Congall, a leader of learning and missionary zeal. Colum- meeting in a log church on this site in 1814. This banus made his way to northern Italy, and there structure was repaired during that year, and in 1835, it was established in 614, in the Appenines, the monastery of enlarged to accommodate people of color on days of Bobbio, in which he died a year later. Columbanus was public worship.” only one of the earlier of a number of Irish monks who The first reunion was held at Salem Church on a Thursday and labored on the Continent—many of them in what is now I learned later that, at that time, only worship services were allowed central and northern Germany. Thus, Kilian wrought in to be held in the church on Sunday. Many of you reading this were Wurzburg and Virgil in Salzburg. One modification of there as I was, with my parents. What a memorable day for this Christian practice, of great later importance, was seven-year-old! Particularly do I remember the enthusiasm of the 2 introduced on the Continent by these Irish monks.” late • Guy Killian6579 who had been among those who worked so The late Rev. Julius H. Shuford, quoted in a genealogical hard to bring it about. report by the late J. Yates Killian4660 in 1939, Reunions have revealed some interesting things about our an- noted that “the Killians are an ancient family and can be cestry and it has been through the work and research of many of traced back to the year 1537. During the time when Martin you that we have updated our genealogy. We’ve also learned that Luther undertook the Reformation of the Church in Ger- there were excellent cooks within the family as we partook of the many, there was one John Killian, a licentiate (one good food at the reunions. (Maybe we should do a cookbook!) licensed to preach or practice a profession) in the Eufort Sometimes there were special gifts of balloons for the children, College, who took a very active part in that great provided by my late father, Jesse Claude Killian 3920, and someone movement and made himself very conspicuous in the eyes (I wish I knew who this was) would often bring a bushel of 3 of Luther’s enemies.” • apples to those early reunions to share with the Killians after the In her lengthy research in 1973, Wanda Woolwine supper. McElveen6681 (also descended from my Samuel 61 line), traced our 4 ancestry back to the birth of Bartholomus • Kilian1397 in 1548 (who was the son of Hans1401 and Ursula1402 Kilian). Bartholomus was 5 1 Footnote numbers are placed in front of words. The associated married in 1577 to Maria • Pfeyffelmann and they had one child, footnote is at the bottom of the column. The editor, George W. Killian Wolfgang Kilian1393 (born in 1581) who had a son named Philip1390 • 17 Charing Cross Fairport, NY 14450-3926 • Phone (716) 223- (born in 1628). Philip had a son, Johannes Philip Wolfgang 4839, maintains a computer genealogical data base with thousands Kilian937 (born in 1654) who was the father of Andreas Kilian51, our of Andreas’ descendants. The subscript numbers after a person’s ancestor born in 1702. This is the Andreas Killian who came to name are identification numbers for looking up that person in the data America in 1732 on the ship ADVENTURE. base to learn additional information about the person and his relationship to any other person. 4In Germany the names of these people is clearly documented with 2 I have Guy Killian in my computer with his wife; but no children. one "L" i.e. Kilian. Can anyone add this information to our heritage? 5 Different translations of German records often spell many of these 3 Bill Killian often brought Henderson Co. apples. names different ways. Printed by: GW Killian on Mon, 10 Nov 2003 For: Shirley & George Killian Killian Family Newsletter V1 #2 V1#2 PG: 1 Last year’s reunion was held at the Castanea Presbyterian the Andreas Killian family— • 8Robert Mayo Hefner and Roslyn Church in Lucia (Gaston Co.) which has a number of Killians Reid—did the unveiling for the beautiful granite monument among its members and this year’s (1993) will be held there again depicting Andreas Killian’s trip to America and showing the names on the Second Sunday of September, the 12th, beginning at 3 p.m. of his children. It is also noted that he took the Oath of Allegiance Supper will follow at 5 p.m. on 23 Sep 1732 in Philadelphia, later coming to NC about 1747 The Castanea Church was originally organized in 1853 under where he established his home about two miles northwest of St. the leadership of Dr. Robert Hall Morrison, who was one of the Paul’s. founders of Davidson College. The church, in its early days, was At the time the memorial dedicated at St. Paul’s, •9officers of called Castanea Grove Presbyterian Church and the congregation the Killian Clan were Jesse C. Sigmon, Sr., President; Odus C. worshipped in a white frame building in the midst of a chestnut Carpenter, Vice-President; and John F. Carpenter, Secretary- grove. (Castanea means “chestnut.”) Treasurer. It was not until 1876, however, that the land on which the Working with the cooperation of the Catawba Historical 10 church was built was actually given to the church by Sidney X. Association, Inc. was • Raymond L. Hefner2336, Chairman of the Johnston. “in consideration of his love and affectionate interest in Memorial and Finance Committee responsible for the monument, said church.” It was noted that on that day of 1 March 1876 that and his committee of twelve person from within the Killian Clan. 11 “there was snow on the ground.” Later that same year (December • J. Yates Killian4660, who served the Killian Clan so nobly 21, 1876), Dr. Morrison married Peter Osborne Alonzo Killian3796 until his death in 1953, was the first president of the Catawba Co. and Mary Keziah Derr3914 at the Derr residence on what is now Historical Association and their book mentioned earlier (A Killian Road in the Riverbend Township of Gaston Co. These were HISTORY OF CATAWBA COUNTY) was dedicated to him and my grandparents. the Association’s second president, Raymond L. Hefner, a primary In 1930 the building at Castanea collapsed and the church force in the work of the Killian Clan until his death, also in 1953. floundered for a few years before being reorganized in 1939 and a Both men contributed greatly to the Association in the recording of new building of native stone was erected. Among the members the county’s heritage. during the reorganization were many Killians, all descendants of The book, OUR ENDURING PAST, referred to earlier in this Samuel C.