Published in The Tribune, 9/3/1913

MAJOR J.N. KILLIAN

Word was received here Saturday morning that Major J.N. Killian, commissioned officer, commissary department of the United States army, who was returning from the Philippine islands on sick leave, aboard the transport Potomac, had died two days out of San Francisco.

Major Killian located in Blair in 1884 and was the priest of the Catholic church here from 1884 to 1887, and in 1887-8 taught German in the high school here. He was married in Blair to Miss Myrtle Patrick in 1888. Leaving the Catholic church on account of his marriage, he went to Plum Creek, Neb., where he was a minister in the Episcopal church for a time, and in 1889 he located to Columbus, Neb., where he started in the practice of law and was editor of a German paper, the Nebraska Biene, and was elected county judge there in 1895.

Major Killian was a well known character in Nebraska military and political affairs for many years, and has thousands of warm personal friends throughout the state. While editor-lawyer at Columbus, he organized old Company K of the First Infantry in the Nebraska National Guard, a year before the Spanish War, an opportune time to soon see active service. He went to the Philippines as the captain of the company, and came back as a major. When the regiment was reorganized after the war, he was elected colonel, and then when the old populist regime in Nebraska came to an end by the election of Governor Dietrich, he was appointed adjutant general of the state.

But a few months later President McKinley, in appreciation of Nebraska having been swung back into the republican column for him, as a personal compliment to the now dead soldier, offered him a captaincy in the regular army in any branch of the service he might choose. He selected the commissary department, an act he later regretted because of the slow promotions. But his new duties were not without excitement at times, as he happened to be in San Francisco at the time of the big fire, and was put in charge of the distribution of commissary supplies there.

For a few months two years ago, just prior to his last tour of duty in the Philippines, Major Killian was stationed in Omaha, a circumstance of much pleasure to him, as it enabled him to meet all of his old friends after an absence of several years. During the Nebraska National Guard encampment at Bellevue in the autumn, he fairly lived there day and night, and reveled in the pleasure of it. He took the occasion of his residence there to take the higher degrees of Masonry, and to join other secret orders. He was yet a captain, but expected to be soon promoted.

He was a man of eccentricities and lovable traits, courageous and frank. As a commander, he was extremely jealous of the rights and good care of the men under him, and not infrequently became embroiled with his superior officers when he thought his men were being imposed upon by them. He had the happy faculty of being able to fraternize and become personally friendly with them and at the same time to tell them firmly when the line of demarcation between duty and friendship, between this commissioned officer and the enlisted man, must begin and to hold their esteem and respect when he did so.

He leaves to mourn his loss a wife and one daughter, Miss Eunice, who was with them in the Philippines, and two sons, Leo, who is studying medicine in St. Louis, Mo., and Alphonse, who is attending a military and agricultural school at Columbia, Mo.

The body arrived here today and the funeral will be held from the home of S.E. Kemp on Thursday and the remains will be laid to their long rest in the Blair cemetery.

The Pilot, 9/3/1913

Mrs. R. Patrick received word Saturday that Major J.N. Killian, her son-in-law, died while on the transport Potomac two days out of San Francisco. He and his wife and daughter, Eunice, were on their way over from the Philippines, he having been granted leave of absence on account of illness. He was major in the commissary department of the regular army, having been recently advanced to that rank. They will arrive here with the body on this morning’s train from Fremont and the funeral will be held at the Episcopal church at 3:30 this afternoon, Rev. Father Williams, of Omaha, officiating in the absence of Rev. A.E. Marsh, who is now in England. Mr. Killian was born in Germany Sept. 8th, 1860, and would have been 53 had he lived to the 9th of this month. Just when he came to this country we didn’t learn. He was educated for the priesthood in Milwaukee and came to Blair first as priest of the Catholic church at this place. While here he fell madly in love with Miss Myrtle S. Patrick and left the priesthood to marry her on Feb. 7th, 1888. He then joined the Episcopal church and was rector of a church in the western part of the state. He studied law and began practicing in Columbus in 1889, was editor of the Nebraska Biene for a time, and was elected county judge of Platte county in 1895, serving one term. When the Spanish-American war broke out he was chosen captain of Co. K. from Columbus, and went to the Philippines with the 1st Reg. of Neb. Volunteers, where he saw some hard service. After the war he served as Adjutant General under Governor Dietrich and was then given a commission as captain in the regular army by President McKinley, choosing the commissary department. He was located at Omaha for a time but most of the time since he was commissioned he has served in the Philippines. He was located at Camp Stoitzenberg for some time prior to sailing. He hadn’t been well, but a physical examination failed to show any serious difficulty, so what the real cause of his death was isn’t known here. Besides the wife and daughter, Eunice, who were with him on the transport, he leaves two sons, Dr. Leo J. Killian, who was graduated from the St. Louis Medical college last spring and is now intern in one of the hospitals at that place, and Alphonse J. Killian, a student at the Missouri State University, at Columbia, Mo. Both the sons came here upon receipt of the news of their father’s death, but Alphonse went on out to Grand Island to meet his mother. He leaves a brother in New York and a brother and sister in Germany. Mrs. S.E. Kemp, of this city, is a sister of Mrs. Killian, also Mrs. C.C. Sheldon, of Columbus, and Miss Bessie Patrick of Omaha.

Blair Democrat 4 Sept 1913

Major Killian Dead

The body of Major J. N. Killian, of the commissary department of the army, reached Blair Wednesday morning and burial occurred at the Blair cemetery in the afternoon.

Major Killian was an old resident of Blair and his wife is a sister of Mrs. S. E. Kamp. Death occurred on board a transport enroute from his station in the Philippines. He was well known in the vicinity of Columbus and had a great many friends at Lincoln and Omaha.

Rev. Father Williams, of Omaha, preached the funeral sermon and friends of the family from various points were in attendance.

Pilot 5 Oct 1913

Major E. J. Vattman, a retired chaplain of the U.S. army of Wilmette, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, was in the city Sunday and Monday for a short visit with Mrs. J. N. Killian, he being a very close friend of the late Major Killian who died recently on the way home from the Philippines. The Major also brought a letter of introduction to A. P. Howes from S. P. Stevens, who formerly lived at Wilmette. Major Vattman was a chaplain in the regular army for over thirty years and congress passed a special act giving him the rank of major when he was retired. He was selected by President McKinley for service in the Philippines during the reconstruction period after the war. He is a very close friend of Colonel Roosevelt also, being the first man sent for by the Colonel when he arrived in Chicago after he was shot. Mr. Howes brought the Major to the Pilot office on his way to the train Monday afternoon and we were very pleased to meet him even for but a few moments.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~