Death Certificate of Gordon A. Sweeney

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Death Certificate of
Gordon Anthony Sweeney
(1916 - 1944)

Gordon was the youngest of Dennis A. and Anne E. (Coyle) Sweeney's seven children. He was married to Eileen T. McCauley, daughter of Charles W. and Mary Veronica (Wickham) McCauley, less than eight months before his death. She did not remarry. The circumstances surrounding his death seem to be something of a mystery (or the subject a cover-up by the army). According to his death certificate, it was not known exactly when, where or how he died. He is buried with his wife in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Related Items
A picture of Gordon's wife Eileen's family home at 507 Franklin avenue, Council Bluffs.
Newspaper articles concerning Gordon's death.
Pictures of his and wife Eileen's gravestones.
Family plot of his parents in St. Joseph's Cemetery.
Obituary for his grandmother Katherine (Hughes) Coyle.

COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
Department of Health
BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS
CERTIFICATE OF DEATH
State File No. 11474
Registered No.______

Registration District No. 640 Primary Registration District No. 5661
1. PLACE OF DEATH
(a) County Hardin
(b) City or town Fort Knox, Kentucky
(If outside of city or town limits, write RURAL)
(c) Name of hospital or institution: Dead on arrival
(If not in hospital or institution write street number or location.)
(d) Length of stay: In hospital or community (years, months, or days) ________
2. USUAL RESIDENCE OF DECEASED
(a) State Iowa (b) County Unknown
(c) City or town Council Bluffs
(If outside of city or town limits, write RURAL)
(d) Street No. 507 Franklin Avenue
(If rural give precinct)
(e) If foreign born, how long in U. S. A.? ______years
3 (a) FULL NAME GORDON A SWEENEY
(b) If veteran, Name war_____ (c) Social Security No._____
4. Sex Male
5. Color or race White
6 (a) Single, married, widowed, divorced Married
(b) Name of husband or wife Eileen T. Sweeney
(c) Age of husband or wife if alive unknown years
7. Birth date of deceased (Month, Day, Year) April 14, 1916
8. AGE 28 Years 0 Months 20 Days
9. Birthplace Council Bluffs, Iowa
10. Usual occupation Soldier
11. Industry or business U.S. Army
FATHER
12. Name Unknown ¹
13. Birthplace Unknown
MOTHER
14. Name Anna Elizabeth Sweeney ²
15. Birthplace Unknown
16 (a) Informant's own signature Service Record
(b) Address AGO, Washington, D.C.
17. BURIAL, CREMATION, OR REMOVAL
Place C. Bluffs Ia Date 5/8 , 19 44
18 (a) Signature of funeral director Perry & Alvery?
(b) Address E'tons?
19 (a) _____________ (b) ___________
(Date received by local registrar) (Registrar's signature)
MEDICAL CERTIFICATION
20. DATE OF DEATH Approximately 4 May 19 44
21. I hereby certify that I attended the deceased from __________ 19__ to Dead on arrival , 19__, that I last saw him alive on __________ 19__, and that death occurred on the date stated above at Unknown M.
Immediate cause of death Asphyxiation, probably due to drowning, manifested by autopsy findings of fine oro-naso and tracheal bronchial froth-like foam; marked lividity of the face, lips, ears and nailbeds; (a)
Other conditions __________________
Major findings:
Of autopsy Same as above
22. If death was due to external causes, fill in the following:
(a) Accident, suicide, or homicide (specify) Unknown
(b) Date of occurrence Unknown
(c) Where did injury occur? in or about home, on farm, in industrial place, in public place? Unknown
While at work? Unknown (a) Means of injury Unknown
23. Signature G.W. GASSER, 1st Lt, MC (M. D. or other)
Address Station Hopital, Fort Knox, Kentucky Date signed 8 May 1944

¹ Gordon's father was Dennis A. Sweeney, born in Maryland. He died in 1920, which is probably why he wasn't listed on his service record.
² Gordon's mother's maiden name was Coyle. She was the daughter of James C. and Katherine (Hughes) Coyle.