Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers

This vintage postcard shows the main building of the Northwestern Branch of National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, opened in Milwaukee (Wood) in 1867

http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2004/spring/soldiers-home.html

for more information

My Grandfather

was admitted to a U.S. National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers as a casuality of war. He was admitted to the home in Milwaukee periodically from 1931 thru 1935. I learned at age forty-six he was five feet nine inches tall; grey eyes; grey hair. I am so thrilled to see his name in print.

Joe Sheehan and his Veterans Bonus of 1936

Cousin Kevin responded to my last blog post and wrote some interesting comments. He's given permission for me to post his comments:

"Eleanor was talking about the Veterans Bonus of 1936, when Congress finally gave World War 1 veterans a bonus which had been promised years before.

I heard the story from my mother and Eleanor. Joseph Sheehan used his veterans bonus to pay off Josephine's mortgage.

This was years after their divorce but he evidently still cared very much for her.

His health deteriorated a few years later, the effects of the poison gas caused neurological damage which became noticeable twenty years after the war.

Did you know that he was a Chicago Firemen before the first world war? "

Any time I add facts to my database I first verify the facts. Cousin Kevin has provided some very interesting comments about Joseph Carroll SHEEHAN, my grandfather.

I look at Kevin's information and see it concerns Joseph Sheehan who is established to be our direct-line ancestor and several events that concern him; they are:

1. Veterans Bonus of 1936 - based on military service during WW I

2. Joseph used all or portion of his bonus to pay off Josephine's mortgage

3. Joseph's employment as a Chicago fireman pre-WWI

Let me give you my thoughts about the mortgage payoff.

I think that records of recipients of this bonus are not available to genealogical researchers - and I feel that we can take this event most likely happened and that Joseph received his bonus.

The event of a mortgage on Josephine's real property being paid off.

In order to substantiate this event I feel we must:

****establish the location of this property

****search the appropriate land records for

**********grantee deed

**********notice of the mortage payoff ca 1936

**********grantor deed

I do have some information ca 1930s that may assist us. I'll glean info regarding this era in the next few days and blog it. However, what do we know about Joseph and Josephine during this time frame.

{BTW, does any one know if the Brennan cousins - John, Kurtis, Rosemary - would be interested in joining our discussion?}

Joseph a Chicago fireman pre-WWI. Was he employed or volunteer?

As of a couple of years ago no records for the Chicago Fire Department were available, however, that may have changed in the meantime.

Let me get this blogged so that you all can give some thought to this and post to my "Comments" so that all may read.

My Reply to Richard's Comment on Previous Post

From my research I found that Joseph Carroll Sheehan was enlisted in the U.S.Army during the period of June of 1916 thru Sept of 1920

As fate would have it he was inducted at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri - as an aside, his Mother and his Aunt Bridget died in the state of Missouri -

When separated from Service he held the rank Sgt. and had been assigned to:

Co "A" 8th Engrs Co "A" 1st Bn Mounted Engrs

At the time of my several inquiries to the military archives the only records were of this particular service with no mention of serving in the US Navy.

Also, at the time of his enlistment he had been divorced from Josephine for a couple of years.

Not too long before her passing, Mom told me about her meeting Joe Sheehan prior to her marriage to Dad. She said that he as a good looking man with light hair and perhaps not in the best of health.

As for Aunt Eleanor's supposing that Josephine received a government pension based on Joseph's military service does not ring true - however, remember my last blog post mentioning that Josephine was listed a nearest relative on Peter Brennan's WWI Draft Registration Card, in my opinion it would be more likely that any military widower government pension would have been based on Brennan's service.

The Military Archives would be the place to inquire as to Peter Brennan's military records - these records may include an application for widow's pension with an affidavit from Josephine.

My Grandparents Sheehan

One of the hardest tasks in documenting our ancestors is to place them at a certain location at a certain period of time.

The Internet has opened so many doors of opportunity to assist in this task.

I've found that current dates are one of the hardest to confirm. And when I say current I am thinking the time period from - say - 1890's thru 1940's.

Ron and I have found many, many records for his family in courthouse ledgers from here in Northwest Missouri and Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, Indiana, to mention a few. Land records, circuit court records, death records, marriage records - all provide a wealth of information for the time between 1790 thru current years. Of course, by the time we've lifted dozens of those heavy, wonderful ledgers off the shelves and onto the counter a couple of days in a row . . . . . who said research was easy.

One of my most exciting recent finds was via The Internet. Clicking a mouse in a way beats the physical workout that county courthouses require. However, it does not replace the hair-raising feeling of reading and touching those brittle ledger pages with the scrolling cursive handwriting - if you've not had the experience you are really missing a thrill of the heart.

My ever-elusive Grandfather Joseph SHEEHAN was -according the the 1920 Federal Census - was in El Paso County, Texas in the El Paso Military District with the 8th Mounted Engineers. I had previously acquired his military record - a synopsis really - providing among other facts, dates of enlistments and discharges, rank, etc., but to be able to fill in one more date and location is good.

My Grandmother SHEEHAN - she insisted that we address her as 'Mom' - while not quite as elusive as our Grandfather has been a bit of trouble to find.

By 1920 my grandmother Josephine and my grandfather had been divorced several years so when I found Josephine HELWICK SHEEHAN BRENNAN BOWRON listed on a WWI Draft Registration Card for Pete Brennan as nearest relative: Josephine Brennan.

Don'tcha just love genealogy ! ! ! ! !