The Joneses - Hiliah
Rebecca Jones Killian
Hiliah Rebecca Jones Killian, Grandfather Joseph Hubbard Jones's
sister, the daughter of William Stephens Jones was married to John W.
Killian, September 6, 1873. September 6 is our anniversary, Rodney Lee
Flood and Donna Colleen Jones. There are a number of people in the family
married on this date.
My father, Lee Otis Jones,
always referred to Hiliah Rebecca as Aunt Becky. Jewel Wagner, niece of
Bellzona, Joseph's wife, also
called her Becky.
John Killian's father was
Andrew Jackson Killian. His mother was Margaret. John died at Boone,
Arkansas, shot to death.
John and Becky had seven
children. They were: 1. Minnie 2. Mary B. 3. Laura Elzora, 4. John 5.
Julia 6. Hattie 7. Lytle (male).
Mary B. was married to
William H. Young, second to Ragsdale. Laura married Dallas Lafayette
Vanzant. Julia was married to Namon Beals. Hattie married Arthur Elsworth
Fisher.
Of these above ancestors a
great number of descendants are shown. Some of these family names are:
Duensing of Wagoner, Oklahoma. Wheeler, Shaw, King, Lewis, Watson, Emmit,
Vick, Byrd, Smith, Keele, Sharp, Martin, Spinks, Brooks, Brewer, Morton,
Eash, Rankins, Cody, Hoover, Garret, are all family names listed breaking
off from this original couple Hiliah (Becky) and John Killian.
November 29, 2000 there was
a connection made with a descendant of "Becky" or Hileah Rebecca Killian
Jones, sister to Joseph Hubbard Jones. This descendant, Jackie DeFoor, is
a granddaughter of Becky and this is her account:
John Killian was killed in
Valley Springs, Arkansas. He was close to home, because when they
heard; Laura, his daughter, ran all the way to where he was.
In the Newton Cemetery at
Rally Hill, Arkansas (this is on a Jones farm) a grave next to Andrew J.
Killian, father to John Killian, has a standing metal marker, about the
size of a regular stone; it is said to be John W. Killian who was
murdered ca. 1894. Jackie DeFoor, his descendant, was told at the time,
late 1960's, the missing piece off the marker had his name on it."
According to this, John
Killian would NOT have been buried at Coweta, Oklahoma, where some
histories show him to be. It is not known where Becky is buried at this
time, year 2000.
Author's note: To find the
truth of a matter sometimes the information must be presented, as this
last revelation proves.
In fact, William Stephens
was said to have been buried around Eufaula by one descendant. Another
said he was buried at Hennessey, Oklahoma still another said, out of
Marshall, Oklahoma. At this time, 2005 I still am not sure of where he is
buried.
Jerry Young, author of
Joneses Pioneers Of The Prairie, did some searching around Eufaula but
found nothing. Of course, there is the gigantic lake covering so much of
the ground in that area.
It really doesn't matter,
after all, if we can't find their burial place. The fact is that they
lived and we and our Creator know that. The living descendants are the
most value to our world. The tie of blood kin is strong and worth every
effort to reconnect as a family. Even better is when this sharing of
information becomes possible.
Was John around forty years
old when he died? The family shared beautiful pictures of the grown
children of Becky. They are handsome people who are well dressed and have
a mature manner about them. A little of the sadness can be seen in their
eyes. These photographs speak to the strength of Becky who didn't run away
from her responsibilities with her children.
I have been told by two
different sources that Becky married a Creek Indian man after John was
shot. So far no photograph of the Creek man has surfaced. One story was
that the Indian man was a foreman on their place. If these accounts are
true what a romantic love story that would make.
Notes from Jackie Defore, descendant of Hileah
Rebecca Jones Killian (my grandfather's sister).
Donna Flood
This is the right woman Becky was my GRt Grt Grandmother. Her daughter
Laura Elzora married Dallas Lafayette VanZant and they were my grt
grandparents. It has been sometime since I looked at the scant data that I
have on the Killian family. John was murdered at Valley Springs in 1894,
he was shot off his horse. His father Andrew, was "Murdered" during the
war, according to his tombstone in Newton Cemetery. Newton Cemetery is on
the Howard Jones farm. Andrew had a brother Cyrus, their father was
Jacob. They were in Carroll Co., ARK as early as 1830 in Carroll CO. I
THINK they were in Franklin Co., TN in 1820. If my Mother was still alive,
she died in 2005, she could tell us off the top of her head about the
children. Becky went into Indian Terriiitory (Oklahoma) before 1900. I
think all her children were in it. I am moving the last of my things from
TN back to GA. and do not have time to look up files right now. I really
need to get that house sold. Running back and forth is wearing me out. I
am sending a copy of this email to OUR cousin Donna Flood who has a
website with lots of Jones data. She has a picture of John and Becky on
this site as well as some data. Please keep me on your list and I will
get back with you soon. I am adding you to my address book. Donna probably
thinks I have died. Regards, Jackie DeFoor. |