Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 212, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 September 1920 — WAR WOUNDS CAUSE DEATH [ARTICLE]

WAR WOUNDS CAUSE DEATH

SERGEANT KEEFE DIES AT TUBERCULOSIS SANITARlUM IN OTTAWA. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Cain and family attended the funeral last Sunday of Sgt. Francis B. Keefe, formerly of this city, at Ottawa, 111. While, here Sergeant Keefe was known by the name of Grieser, and was raised by his foster parents, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Grieser. The following account is taken from the Daily Republican-Times of Ottawa, Hl., of the date of August 28: “Almost two years after the active hostilities of the great World war had ceased to boom, one of the first brave Ottawa lads to enlist to fight the Hun, laid down his life at 11 o’clock last night at the Ottawa Tuberculosis sanitarium in South Ottawa, martyr to his country’s cause. That young American soldier was sergeant Frank B. Keefe, one of the Ottawa young men who enlisted in Co. C on the first day that a call for men in Ottawa was made. He died of a wound of the head caused by shrapnel, which he received in tne battle of the Argonne Forest, in September of 1918. • Wai 27 Years Old. Sergeant Keefe, who was 27 years old at the time of his death, had been a-patient at the La Salle county sanitarium as a government patient, for 6 months, having developed symptoms of tuberculosis from a gassing he received while id the fierce battles that Company C took part in on the western front Later he was transferred to the Pettit sanitarium, where the trouble from the wound in his head developed into a serious condition. During his stay at the county sanitarium, he made friends with all with whom he came in contact, being a bright, cheerful, optimistic sort of a chap. A friend of his, in speaking of. him just a few days ago, said: ‘The soldier boys were all seated together one day talking about God, when Keef said, ‘Well, my home is heaven, and I am on a vacation here,’ ’ and so he was always to the other fellows and his friends, the same cheerful and brave youth. Wounded Sept. 29, 1918. The wound which caused his death was inflicted on the night of September 29, 1918, while Sergeant Keefe and his squad were on outpost duty. A German shrapnel shell exploded near the guard and one of the pieces struck the sergeant in the head, rendering him unconscious and inflicting a deep gash in his head. He apparently recovered from the effects of this wound months later, only to have it develop into serious phases later on and ultimately cause his death. a Served on Border in 1914.. He was a veteran of the Mexican border trouble, in 1914 .and returned to Ottawa with Company C and pursued civilian life until war was declared with Germany, when he for overseas duty. He took active part in the battle of the Somme river, and at Verdun. He was also in battle with his company at Dannedeaux, at the beginning of the great battle of the Argonne Fofest. ✓ • Discharged in January, 1919-. After being wounded on the mght of September 29, 1918, he was taken to a base hospital in France, where his wounds-were treated as of a serious nature. After three or four months spent in the hospitals of France, recuperating, he was sent back to the United States as a casual and spent several months atthe base hospital at Camp Sherman, Ohio, finally ..receiving an honorable discharge from the United State army m January 14, 1919, when he returned home to Otta' « Previous to his residence in this city sergeant Keefe lived at Rensselaer, Ind. The deceased soldier was a member of the Knights of Columbus and a member of the American Legion. He leaves to survive him one sister, Mrs. Mary McCaffery, of this city, and one uncle, Edward Keefe, also of this city. < Funeral Sunday P. M. Funeral services will be held at 2 o’clock' Sunday afternoon at St Patrick’s church. Interment will be made *in St Columbia cemetery. Members of the American Legion and Company C-will march in a body in the funeral processia*. Capt. R. C. Woodward, former commander of Company C, today issued a request that all members of Xompany C meet at the court house Sunday afternoon at 1:15 o’clock to attend the funeral of their deceased comrade.”