Rooney Family Tree

Originally published July 2, 1931, Pope County Tribune

Pat Killeen Found Dead at Sedan Home Wednesday

Coroner Berry was called to Sedan Wednesday morning to view the body of Mr. Pat Killeen who was found dead that morning by Mr. Butler of that village. Mr. Killeen had been away on a visit and had returned home Monday. Neighbors thought they saw him in his garden on Tuesday

Mr. Killeen who was a bachelor had been a globe trotter in his day. One of his travels took him to South Africa where he worked in the diamond mines. He was seventy four years of age at the time of his death which is believed to have been caused by the heat.

Originally published July 9, 1931, Pope County Tribune

Patrick J Killeen

Patrick J Killeen was born at Wakefield, Ontario, Canada July 14, 1859 and died at this home at Sedan, June 30, 1931 at the age of 71 years, 11 months and 16 days. Mr. Killeen had been away visiting relatives at Browns Valley Sunday and Monday, returning home late Monday evening apparently in good health. Tuesday morning he was seen in his garden. On Wednesday he was missed by his neighbors, knowing he was not out of town they investigated and found him lying dead on the bathroom floor upstairs, his death being caused by the heat. He was a bachelor and lived alone at the time of his death.

When but a young boy, Pat came with his parents to Padua, Minn. where he spent his childhood. When a young man about 18 years of age he set out to see some of the world, spending a few years in various parts of Montana. From there he went to Juno City, Alaska where he served as superintendent of a gold mine for ten years. Later he was transferred by the company he was employed to Johannsburg, South Africa where he spent about twenty years of his life superintending three gold mines in that vicinity. After that he came to America and made his home with his brother, Barney and family here at Sedan. Barney and another brother, Tom, of St. Cloud preceded him to the grave. He has made his home in Sedan the last 25 years.

Mr. Killeen was a man of strong character, very sympathetic and generous in all his dealings and was a great friend of all, young and old, known to all his friends as "Uncle Pat". He was especially a great friend of the children who loved him for his kind heartedness and generosity. Funeral services were held at the church of Immaculate Conception at Sedan, interment was made at the Padua cemetery. Has left to mourn his death two sisters and one brother, Mike of Padua, Mrs. T. C. Armstrong of Cranbrook, British Columbia and Mrs. Les McKenney of Helena, Mont. and a number of nieces and nephews, besides a host of friends. The church was filled with sorrowing relatives and friends who came to pay their last respects to the deceased.

Those from out of town that attended the funeral were: Mike Killeen of Padua, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Killeen of Padua, Mr. and Mrs. Alex Arnold, Albin and Leona Berg of Eden Valley, Mrs. Clemen Flynn and daughter of St. Cloud, Mrs. T. C. Armstrong of Cranbrook, British Columbia, Blanche Killeen of Enderlin, N. D., Mr. and Mrs. Fred Larson and family of Minneapolis, and Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Pfeniger of Villard.

Sympathy is extended to the sorrowing relatives.

Originally published Thursday, July 9, 1931, Sauk Centre Herald

Villard

Patrick J Killeen

This community was grieved and shocked Wednesday of last week when word was received here that P. J. Killeen more commonly called "Uncle Pat", has passed to the great beyond. The gentleman was an uncle of Mrs. Alfred Pfeninger, of this place, and was visiting at the Pfeninger home here Monday evening of last week until about 10:00 o'l clock when he returned to his home at Sedan. He was last seen by neighbors Tuesday forenoon between 10 and 11 o'clock hoeing in his garden, where he was found by A. N. Butler.

Coroner Berry, of Glenwood, was called and pronounced it heart failure. Patrick J. Killeen was born at Ottawa, Can., July 14, 1858. When a small boy he moved to Minnesota with his parents. At the age of 14 years he started out to make his own living working for a few years on cattle ranches in Montana. From there as a young man he went to Alaska where he worked in the gold mines for about 10 years going from there to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he spent about 22 years as a manager of a diamond mine. He returned to Sedan in 1904 where he has since made his home.

He was a man loved by old and young, always cheerful and happy.

A requiem High Mass was celebrated on Friday forenoon at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Sedan by the pastor Rev. Haupt, of Brooten. Funeral services were conducted at 2:30 Friday afternoon. interment was made in the Padua cemetery beside his father and mother. One sister, Katherine and two brothers, Bernard and Thomas, also proceeded him in death. He is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Lizzie Armstrong, of Cranbrook, B. C., and Mrs. Mary Ann McKinney, of Helena, Mont., a brother, M. J. Killeen, of Brooten, and a number of nieces and nephews, also a host of other relatives and friends.

Originally published August 1998, Padua Cemetery, by Ginny Walz Borgerding

Patrick J. Killeen was born in 1859 in Low, Quebec, Canada. He was the son of Patrick and Catharine (Rooney) Killeen. At the age of 14 years he started out to make his own living. He worked for a few years on cattle ranches in Montana. From there as a young man he went to Juneau City, Alaska. He was a superintendent over three diamond mines for 20 years. During this time he made several visits to Minnesota. On one visit he brought back ostrich feathers for the ladies hats. Another time one of his servants, who was a South African native, came with him to Minnesota. Patrick always wore a large, diamond stick pin and watch. He was considered a well dressed and well liked man.

P.J. later returned to Minnesota and built a house in Sedan, next to the Catholic Church. In later years he lived with his brother Barney and family. Patrick Jr never married. He died two weeks before his 72nd birthday from heart failure.

P.J.'s parents, brother Michael and sister Katie are all buried in Padua. His grandmother Catharine Rooney is also buried in Padua.

Hello Evie,

Thank you so much for the portraits that you sent. It never ceases to amaze me that our relatives made their way to Alaska and beyond in the 1800s.

I'm particularly interested in the portrait that you say might be PJ ( Pat) Killeen as I have never seen it before. The smartly dressed fellow certainly is jaunty looking. Do you have any idea who Mary Jane Callaghan might be? Why would she and Pat Killeen be taking a portrait together?

[David Gaffaney's note in reply: "Regarding Evie's picture of Patrick Killeen (possibly) and Mary Jane Callahan in Glenwood: The only thing I'd like to point out (if not already known) is that I found Mary Jane Calahan (that spelling) in the 1870 census of Raymond Township, Stearns County, on the same page as Patrick Killeen and some of the Rooney's. She's 15 years old and was born in Canada. Her parents were born in Ireland. So in 1880 when that picture was taken, she would have been 25. I wasn't able to find any more about her, and perhaps she married after that photo and her last name changed before subsequent censuses."]

I always notice in the Padua Cemetery that PJ Killeen has a large, prominent headstone. Also, that his parents' stone is of the same quality. I'm presuming that he (or his estate) paid for both stones.

Are there no family stories about PJ Killeen? His obituary doesn't contain any. For such a well traveled fellow, it seems like stories should abound. My mother (Helen Felling) told us that one summer Pat Killeen came home to Padua from Africa and brought along his man servant .... how very exotic for Padua!

She also said that Pat brought ostrich feathers as gifts for all the Rooney/Killeen women. A few years ago, when I was in South Africa, we went to an ostrich farm which had a museum attached. Until then, I had no idea how very highly valued ostrich feathers were during the early 1900s. So the feathers were substantial gifts. The final detail my Mother mentioned was that Pat wore a sizable diamond stickpin in his lapel. WOW!!!

I certainly would welcome any more colorful stories about Pat! And any clues to the name of the company/business for whom he worked all those years. It's possible the company still exists and, if so, they just might have photos and information about Pat.

Thanks, Evie, for the portraits and for all the family information you have shared over the years. I'm hoping that others will share their Rooney family portraits and stories.

Here's to our Irish pioneer ancestors!

Geraldine