From: JDKRNV@aol.com Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2000 15:22:47 EDT I thought this Peter Kille, from Germany, who lived in MN (I believe he was born in 1840s), might connect with some of your information. Paula Haisch (rhaisch@nntc.net) is doing some research on this branch as a relative of hers was found guilty of murdering Peter's daughter, Katherina Kille. The story is definitely history news worthy! I've already sent for copies of the death records for Katherina and her brother, John. I'm working on finding dates for Peter and his wife, Anna. John. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dear John, In 1900 the government opened land in the Pierre area to Homesteaders. John and Katherine Kille came and obtained two 160 acres near each other. In 1907 Dec. 2nd. she was found in her shanty by her brother with a gunshot to her head behind the ear. I obtained her death certificate and her parents are indeed from Norway (mother Anna Johnson) and Germany (father Peter Kille). They were from Beaver Creek, Minn. east of Sioux Falls, SD, I found one Kille name in the phone book near Sioux Falls. I wrote him asking if he was related and if he knew anything about the incident. He claims that his uncle was John and that after the grandfather died, John came back to Beaver Creek to buy and farm the family farm. He said that all the relatives were dead and he never knew about his aunt Katherine until a few years ago. A student from a area college wrote a paper for journalism class about the group of young people going to Ft. Pierre to homestead as there was no farmland for them to have in Beaver Creek. At the end of the paper the writer does mention his aunts death but no mention of the person who suppose killed her. I asked about the deathbed confession, he denied all knowledge of that. He said all the family members were dead except him. So on a weekend, we went to Beaver Creek to find the girls grave, there was none there for any of the Kille family. So we asked someone about the Catholic Church and the graveyard. They said Catholics went to Luverne, Minn. or Brandon, SD. for church and burial. We went to Luverne and after an hour or so search we found the grandparents (Anna and Peter) graves but not Katherina's. The Kille Plot was a 4 person plot with one plot taken by some other person. We found no other Kille's at the Catholic or City Cemetery, so we are wondering why? Out of three bros. (two married) and one sister, where are they buried?? So I and another sister are planning to visit Brandon, SD next weekend to see if they are buried there. Brandon is the town near Sioux Falls where the last remaining family member a nephew (Dale) lives. Dale said he would send me a copy of the paper the journal student wrote but as yet I haven't gotten it. We think maybe Katherine's grave is by her parents but they were so lost in grief that they never obtained a headstone for her. If we don't find her grave in Brandon we will ask the funeral or sexton of the cemetery in Luverne, Min. We are waiting for the final results of the second trial of my uncle, Aurellus F. Bowen for the charge of murder. His first trial ended in 5 to convict and 7 to acquit, on August 3, 1908. He was rearrested for the murder of Katherina when he left the courtroom. the second trail was moved to Hyde County, SD in the city of Highmore, SD on Tuesday, 16 of March 1909 at 10 o'clock. The reason my uncle was accused, my family tale states, that he was courting Katherina and he was not a Catholic and Katherina and her family were. We also wonder if John didn't want to lose her 160 acres of land and therefore tried to frighten her to stay single until they proved up. He received the land after Katherina's death because he was her closest kin. Her death certificate states she only lived there 8 months before she was killed. Since the land offer was in 1900, we believe she brought her land from another homesteader that didn't want to prove up or died. The Land Conveyances of S.D. show John obtained the both homestead land in 06-04-1908 of 160 acres of land each. Will keep in touch, Paula Haisch