Biography
John Killian was born 25 April 1796 in Lincolnton, Lincoln County, North Carolina, United States to Philip Killian (1766-1815) and Mary Hoskins (1773-1820) and died 10 November 1858 Emigration Canyon, Utah, United States of logging accident. He married Lydia Ann Hopper (1795-1834) 25 August 1818 in Howard County, Missouri. He married Sarah McClure (1798-1872) 28 August 1837 in Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri.
John Killian, the grandson of German immigrants, was born in Lincolnton, North Carolina on 25 April 1796 to Philip Killian and Mary Hoskins. He moved with his family to Missouri sometime after the War of 1812. He married Mrs. Lydia Hopper Conley in 1818 in Howard County, Missouri. They had 7 children together.
Missouri Troubles
John's obituary states that he was baptized by Oliver Cowdery (1806-1850) in September 1831 into the newly formed The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Lydia died in October 1834 in Missouri and John left for a mission to Illinois later that year. His older children cared for the younger ones so he could serve a mission. He returned from his mission and married Sally McClure, a cousin of his first wife, in August 1837.
As hostilities increased towards the Saints in Missouri, John was the captain of the Caldwell County militia for the church in Far West, Missouri, using Sidney Rigdon's home as headquarters.
When the Saints were expelled from Missouri in November 1838, John and his family walked to Illinois and found refuge among the kind people of Quincy, Illinois. It was there that John and Sally's daughter, Harriet Emma was born. When the Saints settled in Nauvoo, Illinois, John and his family lived just across the river from them in Montrose, Iowa, where John was a farmer and served as a captain in the Nauvoo Legion. He helped to build the Nauvoo Temple. He left Nauvoo to serve a mission to Kentucky in January 1845, taking charge of the branches there, returning to Nauvoo to receive his endowments 24 December 1845.
Migration to Utah
John came to Utah among the early settlers, settling first in Paragonah, Utah and then in Emigration Canyon. He logged timber there and built a large ranch in a small side canyon 5 miles up the main canyon, which was named "Killyon Canyon". He died in a logging accident and was buried in his beloved canyon.
Marriage and Family
2nd Marriage: Sarah McClure
Sarah McClure (1798-1872), was a cousin of John's first wife. She was 8 months pregnant with her first child, and carring for his 8 children, when the family was forced to endure the winter's march to Illinois from Far West, Missouri.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Mary Killian (1819-) | |||
| George Killian (1819-1882) | |||
| Thomas Killian (1820-1862) | |||
| Letha Jane Killian (1822-1898) | |||
| Nancy Elizabeth Killian (1824-1898) | |||
| Franklin Killian (1825-1866) | |||
| Josephine Almira Killian (1827-1887) | |||
| Jacob Killian (1828-1901) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Harriett Emma Killian (1839-1892) | 10 March 1839 Quincy, Adams County, Illinois, United States | 26 March 1892 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States | William John Busby (1833-1912) |
Siblings
Residences
References