George M HENDRICKSON

Other Events and Attributes:

• MN Death Cert Checked: Y
• Minnesota Death Certificate: 1956-MN-016766  
• Occupation: Electrician

Notes:

Known as Georgie. Cora attended his funeral.

Not listed in the WWI draft registrations. May have enlisted before the draft was started.

George fought in World War I and, supposedly, was injured by poison gas. He may also have been damaged psychologically. He spent his last years living at the “Old Soldiers” home (Veterans Administration Hospital) in St. Cloud. That’s where he was at the time of the 1930 census, shown as 34 years old, as a mental patient. His death certificate indicated that he had been under VA care since October 9, 1924. Presumably, this meant that he had been in the VA hospital since that time.

After he returned from the war, Georgie appears to have struggled to hold various jobs with his step-brothers. He was listed as a tile setter in the 1919 city directory and an electrician in the 1920 city directory. That 1920 entry was the last time that he was listed in the city directory.

In the 1940 census, he was an inmate at the VA mental hospital in St. Cloud. He was erroneously shown as age 38. He had had two years of high school.

Death Certificate:

HENDRICKSON, GEORGE M. CertID# 1956-MN-016766   
 Date of Birth:  n/a
 Place of Birth: OUT OF STATE
 Mother Maiden Name: BOWE
 Date of Death: 04/14/1956
 County of Death: STEARNS

Veteran Service Start Date: 25 Mar 1918
Veteran Service End Date: 24 Jul 1919
Rank: PFC
Branch: US Army
Interment Date: 17 Apr 1956
Cemetry: Ft. Snelling National Cemetery
Buried At: Section G Site 1173

His death certificate showed a birthdate of February 10, 1902. It also showed that he died from a pulmonary thromboembolism (which he had had for one hour) complicated by posterior gastroenterostomy (12 days) and diverticulism of duodenum (which he’d had for years). His body was autopsied. The death certificate shows that Georgie had undergone a lobotomy of the left frontal lobe, presumably in an attempt to treat his psychological disorders.

His brief obit in the Star on 16 April has his correct age and lists his address as 5753 2nd Avenue S., the Carter’s address. Either that was just his address of record or else he didn’t die at the St. Cloud veterans’ home.

Died:
Per Cora’s diary; says he died at 5:00. His death certificate says 5:45 PM.

Buried:
Section G, Site 1173