Mary Eliza Killion Blackburn gave this talk for the Killion reunion in Sweet Springs, MO. (slight editing by Bob Blackburn in italics)

Our meeting here today is to commemorate the faith and courage our forefathers had in this great country of ours. They gave up home, parents, brothers and sisters and loved ones to travel into a country known only as the west; a land of opportunity in which their children could gain possession of land, homes, and every opportunity afforded by the great west. These were the pioneers: the Killion Family.

Michael Killion (1810 – 1893) and his wife, Elizabeth Hines (1799 – 1871) were the forebears. Their native state was North Carolina; the town, Kernerville (not far from Winston-Salem). Elizabeth Hines was born in Holland and came to the U.S. at the age of 12, speaking no word of English. They, with their children Noah Festus (1830 – 1896), and his wife, Rebecca Catherine Weavil (1834 – 1908), Katie Bodenheimer and husband, Trux Bodenheimer (an Uncle of Rebecca Weavil Killion), Joseph Isaiah (1835 – 1927) and wife, and Harry Smith (1838 – 1882) left North Carolina in 1865 (maybe 1866 per census records), following the Civil War. They stopped in Adams County, Indiana, and lived there five years. Prior to their leaving North Carolina, Noah Festus and his wife Rebecca had six children, Viz, Louesa, Elizabeth (who died in infancy), John L., Phoebe, Andrew, and Sherman (we always called him Uncle Sim). Joseph and wife had four children; John W., Clemons (who died in infancy), Lizze and Joe. During the five years in Indiana, Noah and wife, Rebecca, added to their family, Joyesa and Noah Jr. Joseph and wife added Charlie. They left Indiana in 1870, as land was too costly to buy and living was hard. They arrived in Missouri in the fall of 1870 and settled on adjoining farms where there was plenty of water and a good supply of timber to build houses.

In the early spring of 1871, Noah Jr. died and was the first person to be buried in Oak Grove Cemetery (Sweet Springs, MO). The cemetery was part of Joseph Killion's farm. After coming to Missouri, additions to the family of Noah and Rebecca were Emery, Mary (Bob's Grandmother), and Rosa Lee. Joe Killion's family added Louesa Belle. Later in 1882, Joe's wife died and he later married Caroline Wicker resulting in a girl and boy both dying in infancy, Lucian, Joicy, and Flora.

The year of the first arrival in Missouri saw the building of the first railroad, the Lexington Branch of the Missouri Pacific. The town at time was called Brownsville. In 1882, the town was literally torn to pieces by a tornado. After building a new town, the name was changed to Sweet Springs as it was about that time it was found that their sweet springs was a means of bringing in money from the bottling of the water.


Noah Killian was a Confederate soldier from North Carolina, 32 North Carolina Infantry, 32nd Regiment. He started and ended service as a private. Noah was also one of the first secretaries for the Oak Grove Baptist Church.