- ST.
NORBERT ABBEY
- DE
PERE, WISCONSIN, U.S.A.
- Rev.
Edward C. Killeen, O. Praem.
- b. Wednesday,
Nov. 17,
1897 – d. Tuesday, Dec. 21, 1971
Our brother
Edward Killeen was born in Rice Lake, Wisconsin
in 1897. After graduating from St.
Norbert High and his sophomore year at the college, he joined the Order in 1925
and was solemnly professed in 1930.
Edward began graduate school at U. W. Madison in 1931, assisting at St.
Joe’s in
Madison
while also being chaplain at
Edgewood
Academy
and
Wisconsin General
Hospital. He earned his Ph.D. from
Madison
in 1941 and returned to the college.
“Ether Ed,” as he was called, used to mesmerize his economics
students into drowsiness with his slow, unanimated lectures.
But not being a judgmental man, he let them sleep on, knowing they would
pay for their inattention when exam time came!
From 1941 until 1947, as master of professed at the abbey, he could be
found as a true circator, i.e. a
wandering "spy" whose business was to tour the abbey and see that every frat was doing
his allotted task. One day the frats
found him hiding in the unused, darkened walk-in coolers of their makeshift
music room!
From
1948 to 1954, Ed was associate pastor at Old St. Joe’s, where he was much
loved by the students as a confessor for his kind and encouraging words.
From
1960 to 1971, in addition to part-time teaching at the college, he was chaplain
at
St. Joseph
Academy. He died on
Tuesday, December 21,
1971 at the age of 74.
