In the space between Ransdell Chapel and the South Hall dorms resides an engraved bench and a swaying willow tree–a reminder of the great loss of life Campbellsville University faced at the beginning of this year.
In February, the untimely death of Josiah Kilman rippled throughout the student body. On Monday, Nov. 25, a ceremony held to celebrate Kilman’s everlasting impact unveiled the meaning behind a monument placed on campus earlier this year. Attendees shared hugs and listened to personal anecdotes from Kilman’s close friends , alongside songs of worship.
The bench faces Kilman’s dorm room window in South Hall, the place where his life was taken. But, according to close friend, Ali Ward, the tragedy is unable to overwrite the brightness he shined into that room.
“While many people will hear that and think about the tragedy that occurred there, I will always think about all the special moments, laughs and cherished moments first,” Ward said. “That room is so much more than what happened in there.”
The bench has been up since August, and was designed in April by a group of those close to Kilman. Engraved on each side are flowers–a bluebonnet, the Texas state flower, and a bitterroot, the Montana state flower. The respective flowers represent where Josiah was born, and where he was raised.
Additionally, underneath his name, an inscription reads “Seek Jesus,” a saying Kilman heard during his youth in Montana from his pastor’s son, Paxton Fisher, who would eventually pass from cancer. It was after this moment that Kilman decided to give his life to Christ, and would go on to remember Fisher by wearing the No. 3 on his soccer jersey.
“Seeking Jesus was truly the way Josiah lived his life,” Ward said. “If you never had the chance to know Josiah, just do exactly what he always said to do – seek Jesus. By doing this, you can get to know Josiah by knowing the creator that he loved and served.”
As Ward spoke, the leaves of the willow tree beside the bench shook with the wind – a tree planted in memory of Kilman’s ambition, and the song he was learning to play at the time of his passing, “Bloom” by The Paper Kites.
Ultimately, according to Lody Cheatham, friend and early roommate of Kilman’s, the placement of the memorial is less about the resulting heartache, and more about strengthening faith in light of the tragedy.
“The situation has been extremely difficult on everyone, and we do not want this bench to be a resemblance of mourning, but rather an opportunity to flourish in faith,” said Cheatham.
Cheatham continued by encouraging fellow students to use the bench for prayer and motivation to further their faith – whether they knew Kilman or not.
“If you do not know Josiah, or maybe you weren’t even here last year, please come and use the bench,” Cheatham said. “I can promise you, you would not have been a stranger to Josiah.”
