Association of Descendants of Pioneer Andreas Killian
Celebrating 76 Years Reunion
September 10-12, 2010

Our goal is to create a fun, informative event with the utmost consideration for expenses. All information and any last minute changes will be available on our website at: www.Andreaskillian.com

Accommodations:
What was formerly the Hampton Inn of Hickory is now the remodeled Best Western, 1520 13th Avenue Drive, S.E., Hickory, NC 28602 (828-323-1150). The Manager, Chanell Owensby, has offered the Association a group rate of $59.99 plus tax for rooms with 1 king or 2 queen beds.  Continental breakfast is included. Mention the Killian Reunion for the discount.

Food:
For meals on your own, the Best Western offers breakfast or you can go next door to the J&S Cafeteria – a regular stop for our out-of-towners.  For Dinner on Friday evening, we will have a catered meal at Mt. Zion Lutheran Church.  The Adult menu is chicken or pork, green beans, small potatoes, corn, coleslaw, dessert, rolls, and tee for $10 per plate. On the registration form, please be sure to specify your meat choice.  For kids under 10 years, the menu will have chicken tenders for $5. For Lunch on Saturday, there are several restaurants nearby to choose from.  We hope the Boy Scouts will host their Annual Barbecue as it has been a hit in the past. You will have many choices around Hickory on Saturday evening but most attendees go to the J&S Cafeteria next to the Best Western. We have asked our wonderful Caterer, Jennifer Brittain, from last year’s Reunion to come back for a repeat performance on Sunday for lunch.  The cost for Sunday’s lunch is $10 per plate.

So that our speakers can begin their discussions without interruption, please be punctual at those times.

About the Speakers:

Dr. Robert Carpenter is the author of Carpenters A Plenty, an excellent book about the Pioneer Zimmerman/Carpenter Families whose history is intertwined with the Killians and related families. Dr. Carpenter is President of the Gaston Lincoln Genealogical Society and current Editor of Footprints in Time.  Having served as an Educator for 34 years and Principal for 26 years, Dr. Carpenter currently teaches history as an adjunct professor at Belmont Abbey College.  We look forward to his lecture “German Migrations and Religions West of the Catawba” on Friday. 

Dr. Robert Hart is a family physician, historian and conservationist.  Over 30 years, he and his wife have amassed a virtual village of seventy log structures dating from 1782 to 1873 on a private tract of land in Hickory, North Carolina.  Known as Hart Square, the largest collection of original historic log buildings in the United States, the village is open to the public only once a year in October.  At that time, around 220 volunteer artisans perform demonstrations bringing the village to life - the life of the 1800’s in Catawba County.  We are pleased to have a representative give a presentation about this important restoration project by Dr. Hart on Saturday morning following the Museum Tour. 

Dan Sipe is past President of the Andreas Killian Descendants Historical Association and is currently serving as Program and Project Director.  In 2009, Dan had the privilege of traveling to Germany to the locations relevant to Andreas Killian.  He will share his experience with us in his “Route to Our Roots” lecture on Saturday after lunch.

Michael Scoggins is the Historian of the McCelvey History Center of York County, SC.  He will present a fascinating historical sketch of the Flood of 1916 and it’s impact on the Catawba River on Sunday after lunch.

Activities:
The Catawba County Museum of History will be hosting a private tour of the museum for the Association.  The Museum offers testimony to the self-sufficient pioneers who followed the Native American Trails along the Catawba River to what is today Catawba County. Housed in the 1924 Catawba County Courthouse, the Museum has an interesting collection of historical artifacts, documents and photographs that is a must-see.

If you haven’t had the opportunity, you should make the effort to stop by Andy Killian’s AutoSports to get a tour of his fascinating car collection.  Not far from Andy’s you can stop by the Killian’s Hardware for a tour of Elmer Killian’s private museum.  Please note Killian’s Hardware closes at 2:00pm on Saturday.

The Genealogy Workshop as always will be full of interesting information about the Killian family.  If you are unsure of your lineage, there will be folks on hand and databases to provide help in discovering your roots.

The Business Meeting is an important part of our 3-day event.  We will have a lot to share, especially our new nonprofit designation.  We will also want to review our goals. (If we have at least 10 kids pre-registered, we will arrange for a special event by the Science Center!)

Stargazing! After dinner, we have a special treat- the Catawba Valley Astronomy Club will be at Mt. Zion Church with telescopes for some stargazing.  Remember, Andreas was looking at the same night sky!

We hope you will join us in celebrating our heritage, meeting some cousins and maybe learning something new along the way!


Association of Descendants of Pioneer Andreas Killian
Celebrating 76 Years Reunion
September 10-12, 2010

Schedule of Events

Friday, September 10, 2010
(all times are Eastern Standard Time)>

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Sunday, September 12, 2010


Association of Descendants of Pioneer Andreas Killian
Celebrating 76 Years Reunion
September 10-12, 2010

If you are planning on attending the reunion the reunion committee would like for you to complete the registration form and either submit it electronically or mail it by USPS. You can access the Registration form by .