Deriving a date of death from Civil War Pension Files?

Question

I have an image from the U.S. Civil War Pension Index. It says:

Name of Soldier: Heuer, Henry

Name of Dependent: Widow, Heuer, Johanna

Service: D 17 Mo Inf (Company D, 17th Missouri Infantry)

Date of filing: 1890 Aug 7.

That of course, implies that Henry died before that date. Is there a way to tell how long before that date the death occurred?

And, yes, that means the death date I have for him in his WikiTree profile is wrong.

Comments

Have you checked for more info on Fold3, available at any Family History Center and many libraries?

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Like everybody else said, get the pension file from the National Archives. It will certainly have his date of death and usually lots of other useful information. I've gotten files that were over 100 pages long.

Answer 1

From various sources, I believe that Henry died suddenly on 21 March 1884, in St.  Louis, Missouri.  His wife Johanna died in 1916.  As others have mentioned, his death information should also be located in the pension application.  Pension laws changed in 1890 to allow the widow's of American civil war soldiers to apply for pensions.

Comments

Can you tell me what those various sources are? I'm having a hard time finding sources for Henry. Thank you.

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I can provide them tonight during my research time.  I found a death listing, two obits, etc.

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Paul, I have placed several sources on his profile along with some bio information.  I am confident the 1884 date is correct since I found family names in his probate file.  I think these sources will get you started.  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.  Michelle

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Thank you for all your assistance! That coroner's report was a bit of a surprise. I've learned a lot about other places to look for records.

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My family is from the St. Louis area and I have been researching them for many years.  I am still finding new sources I did not know were available!  If you need any more help, just ask.

Answer 2

His date of death should be in the pension file. Request a copy from the National Archives (fee required). See the National Archives website for the specifics for ordering the file.

Answer 3

Have you checked to see if there is an application for a widow's pension based on his service.  I have applications that my war veteran filed and when he died the widow had to file a new application to receive benefits as a widow.  I've found on these widow applications they usually ask the date of the death for the veteran.