Jack Francis Blomgren gravesite

Jack Blomgren was born in April 1924. Uncle Jack attended Humboldt High School in St. Paul Minnesota. As a freshman he was a member of the school chorus. He enlisted in the service one day after his 19th birthday on 8/9/1943 and was inducted at Fort Snelling. On 12/13/45 he was honorably discharged as SGT from Chanute Field Illinois. His serial number was 37 573 021. During this 2 year period he was stationed with HQ 319th CTD in Pullman WA where he received 4 months of college training at Washington State College (known today as WSU, Washington State University)and then to Section N 3507th BU in Sioux Falls SD. He graduated 11/11/44 from the Radio Operator Mechanics Course in Sioux Falls. On 3/27/1946 he wrote to the Army requesting his grades from WSC in Pullman and his radio operator mechanic training record as he was planning to enter college in September 1946. The Army sent him verification that he had been rated flying in B17 planes for over 22 hours in Yuma Arizona between 12/27/1943 and 1/5/44. I called University of Minnesota Admissions in 2015 and asked whether Jack ever entered the U of M and received a call a few days later that they had no record of him registering. Jack was 22 years old in 1946. After his discharge, Jack was living with his parents at 707 Gorman Avenue in Saint Paul. I know nothing of what Jack did in the 8 years between September 1946 and July 1954 when he admitted himself to the Sandstone State Hospital (currently housing the Sandstone Federal Penitentiary) or what happened to him during the short 6 month period he was housed in Sandstone before his death. There are no public records stating "why" Uncle Jack admitted himself to Sandstone. Admittance records for the hospital, found at the Minnesota Historical Society, list "alcoholism" as a major reason for admission to Sandstone but it could have been depression or something else. There is no public record of the treatment Uncle Jack received while at Sandstone, but in the mid 1950's, electric shock therapy was a in vogue and often used for treating alcoholism and other mental illnesses. Unlike today, patients admitted to mental health facilities in the 1950's were not free to check themselves "out" once they checked themselves "in". In January 1954, just 6 months after he voluntarily admitted himself for treatment, he was taken for a ride by family members when he jumped from the car and "ran into the woods". In January 1954, the highest minimum temperature in Sandstone Minnesota was 0° F. Jack was just 3 months shy of turning 30. A man hunt was made without success. More than 4 years later, in August 1958, his skeleton was found in the hayloft of the Richard Williams farm in Finlayson Minnesota. Descendants of the William's family still run the farm today in 2015. The Pine County coroner, Frank Gottryl said Uncle Jack apparently froze to death. Uncle Jack was interned at Fort Snelling Cemetery on August 18th, 1958. The State of Minnesota never issued a death certificate for Uncle Jack. He is one of a dozen or 2 known deaths in Minnesota in the past century for which a death certificate was never issued. I assume this is because of the uncertainty of time of death. If you are ever at Fort Snelling National Cemetery be sure to visit Jack's resting place.