John Gordon^[1]

1894 - 1936  (42 years)

• Name	John Gordon
  Birth	24 Mar 1894	Belfast, Antrim, Ireland   [2]
  Gender	Male
  Death	18 Dec 1936	Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA
  	Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1944 about John Gordon Name: John Gordon Gender: Male Race: White Age: 42 Birth Date: 24 Mar 1894 Birth Place: Belfast Ireland Death Date: 18 Dec 1936 Death Place: NS Pgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA Father Name: William B Gordon Father Birth Place: Ireland Mother Name: Elezabeth Robinson Mother Birth Place: Belfast Ireland Spouse Name: Freda Gordon Certificate Number: 106763 found dead on celler floor by brother, William Gordon
  Person ID	I2637	Drollinger Genealogy
  Last Modified	25 Apr 2023

  
  

  Father	William Brown Gordon,   b. 24 Jun 1859, Kilmore, Down, Ireland d. 28 Sep 1921, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA (Age 62 years)
  Mother	Elizabeth Robinson,   b. 16 Sep 1864, Killinchy Woods, Ireland d. 13 Dec 1942, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA (Age 78 years)
  Family ID	F858	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Freda Dorland,   b. 10 Jul 1892, Custer City, PA d. 28 Apr 1931, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA (Age 38 years)
  Marriage	25 Aug 1919	Wellsburg, Brooke County, West Virginia   [3]
  	Freda Dorland in the West Virginia, Marriages Index, 1785-1971 Name: Freda Dorland Gender: Female Birth Date: abt 1892 Age: 27 Spouse's Name: John Gordon Spouse Gender: Male Spouse Age: 25 Marriage Date: 25 Aug 1919 Marriage Place: Wellsburg, Brooke, West Virginia Note: Wellsburg was a popular place for people in the Pittsburgh area to go and get married. They would take the train there and a carriage would meet them at the station and take them to the courthouse. There used to be a hotel next door for them to stay at.
  Children	1. David Richey Gordon,   b. 24 Mar 1920, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA d. 24 Mar 1920, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA (Age 0 years)   2. David Robert Gordon,   b. 15 Feb 1921, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA d. 3 Dec 1993, Great Bend, Barton, KS (Age 72 years)   3. John Medberry Gordon,   b. 24 Feb 1922, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA d. 25 Oct 1922, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA (Age 0 years)   4. Freda Dorland Gordon,   b. 29 Mar 1923, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA d. 9 Apr 1996, Tucson, Pima, AZ (Age 73 years)
  Family ID	F863	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	1 Jun 2017

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 24 Mar 1894 - Belfast, Antrim, Ireland Marriage - 25 Aug 1919 - Wellsburg, Brooke County, West Virginia Death - 18 Dec 1936 - Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  John was a blacksmith. He enlisted in the Canadian Army when WWI broke out and served in France and Belgium. He was gassed and received a pension for his war service disabilities. That he suffered from Post Stress Trauma Disorder was evident in his later life of drinking and womanizing. He later worked in the railroad machine shops on the North Side with his uncle, David Gordon. 1920 census says 1907 is year of emmigration, occupation is mill heater. 1930 census lists occupation as engineer, steam railroad, veteran of WW. He was a bit of a wild one according to some of the stories in the family. My uncle Gordon told of the bad blood between my dad and his oldest brother. How Chick used to beat up my dad until one day Uncle Johnny came out and told him in no uncertain terms if he touched my dad one more time he was going to get his pistol and blow out his brains. I guess he had a reputation as bad guy on the north side. There was also the story of a bunch of Irish getting on the train and going to Toronto to enlist. When the train stopped at the border the men were asked to open their suitcases. In John's lay two pistols. The customs inspector or what ever he was asked why John was going to Canada. the reply was to join the Army. So the suitcase was closed and off he went. Another time he was working for Passavant Hospital and they had a war surplus ambulance. He got a full cargo of demon rum on board and decided he was going to California. He got as far as Emsworth before he wrecked and totalled it! John Gordon in the Pennsylvania, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1795-1931 Name John Gordon Petition Age 31 Record Type Naturalization Petition Birth Date 24 Mar 1894 Birth Place Ireland Arrival Date 1919 Arrival Place Niagara Falls, New York Petition Date 4 Jun 1925 Petition Place Pennsylvania, USA Naturalization Place Pennsylvania, USA Spouse Freda Dorland It appears that he counted his return from WWI as the start date of his five years for naturalization.

  
  

• Sources

  [S320] Margaret Jane Gordon, John Gordon Obit. [S157] Service Record Extract. [S175] service record.