April 22, 2015 By Dave Shampine Watertown - Some 200 people, many of them parishioners of St. Patrick’s Church, gathered in the Black River “Watertown and St. Patrick’s may well be proud of the only Knight Commander of St. Gregory in this diocese,” said Ogdensburg Bishop Joseph H. Conroy after he conferred the title upon David Dell Kieff at a banquet on the evening of Thursday, June 11, 1925. Pope Pius XI had designated Mr. Kieff, 59, to receive one of the church’s oldest honors for laymen, recognizing his architectural services, without compensation, for designs of churches, schools and convents throughout the diocese. The Kieff name Also to his credit was the design of Gabriels Sanatorium and work at Watertown’s Mercy Hospital the year following his papal honor. Five speakers, including retired state Supreme Court Judge Henry Purcell, joined Bishop Conroy in a banquet hall decked out in the papal colors of yellow and white to offer tributes to Mr. Kieff. The toastmaster read the papal statement in Latin, then in English, and Mr. Kieff was presented a red enameled cross. In the center of the cross rested a blue medallion carrying the image of St. Gregory, with a dove fixed near the right ear. An inscription on the medallion said in Latin, “For God and for Pope Gregory XVI, Supreme Pontiff.” A large reproduction of the medallion was posted at the rear of the banquet hall. About the honor There have been several residents of the United States who have received the honor of being made Knights of St. Gregory, but fewer have been named Knight “Commander” in this country. As Knight Commander, Mr. Kieff would be frequently called upon to act as the bishop’s personal lay attendant at various religious ceremonies or other functions in which the bishop was a central figure. Service well established He additionally had the distinction of being the first man to hold office as Master (highest appointive office) of the Seventh District of the Knights of Columbus, comprising the entire Diocese of Ogdensburg. He was also a member of the Bishop Conroy General Assembly, Fourth Degree. For the community It seemed that he could not say no. His commitments included trustee (1931-1941) of Mercy Hospital; a director (for several years) of the Hospital Service Corporation of Jefferson County, organized in 1937 to provide the sick hospitalization at a minimum cost; the first director (1921) of the Watertown Community Chest, on which he was a board member for two decades; Also, he was president of the Watertown Chamber of Commerce in 1919 and 1932, and was chairman of a public relief committee established in 1930 to act as a centralized welfare agency to eliminate duplication of various welfare organizations. He even had time for government, serving on the Watertown City Council and then as mayor. Elected to begin a four-year term in 1935, he chose not to seek reelection. Franklin County native David set out for Watertown about 1881, when he was 16, to learn a trade. Completing a course in architecture at a business school, he was accepted into a Watertown architectural firm to begin a practical study of architecture. Not long after his 22nd birthday on July 3 in 1887, he became a partner in the firm, which took on the name Hose & Kieff. Six years later, he was sole proprietor. By about 1925, it was estimated that 70 percent of all the substantial buildings in Watertown were designed by his office. Mr. Kieff was well established in his career before beginning a family life. That all started on June 22, 1910, when he and Rosalie A. VanNamee of Watertown were married at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church, Watertown. The couple had three sons, losing one of them, David, at age 7. Another, Ambrose, became a registered architect in his father’s firm, but died at age 34 in January 1946. Their surviving son, George, lived in Canton, Ohio. David Kieff in 1940 suffered a stroke, which left him partially paralyzed. From then on, his health continued to decline, and on October 27, 1946, he died. He was 81. Rosalie Kieff moved to Canton, Ohio, to live with her son, and died there at the age of 84 on December 30, 1964. Other Knights of St. Gregory in the Diocese of Ogdensburg: By Pius XII, 1958: By John XXIII, 1960: By Paul VI, 1971: An invitation The series is inspired by Bishop LaValley’s call for “Living Stones” in our parishes, people whose service outside their church reflects “what happens inside the sacred walls.” The subjects are men and women who in effect were “stones” within their parishes. We hope to make this fully representative of our parishes, but we can’t do it without your help. Are you aware of somebody who was very active at promoting the faith in your parish years ago and who equally set a good example by his or her service to the community? Perhaps it was somebody in your family, possibly a parent or grandparent. You are invited to research and write about your nominee. If writing is not your thing, tells us about your nominee, providing whatever material you may have, and we will take care of the rest. Good photos of the nominee are welcomed, of course. Submissions may be emailed to mkilian@rcdony.org, or mailed to The North Country Catholic, Post Office Box 326, Ogdensburg, NY 13669.
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Valley Club, to witness a rare papal honor for a local architect.