Roll of Honor
Incident
Location: Illinois Weapon: Person Offender: Apprehended
Detective Benjamin Gaughenbaugh suffered a fatal heart attack shortly after struggling with a drunken male at the railroad depot in Beardstown, Illinois, on an excessively hot day.
He was able to place the subject under arrest and walked him to the Beardstown Police Department. As he was waiting to book the suspect, he suffered a heart attack and collapsed.
Detective Gaughenbaugh was a Canadian military veteran and served as a sniper in World War I. He had been in law enforcement for 12 years while serving as a four-term sheriff of Appanoose County and a guard at the Fort Madison Penitentiary, both in Iowa.
He was buried in the Oakland Cemetery in Centerville, Iowa.
Detective Gaughenbaugh was a Canadian military veteran and served as a sniper in World War I. He had been in law enforcement for 12 years while serving as a four-term sheriff of Appanoose County and a guard at the Fort Madison Penitentiary, both in Iowa.
Survivors
Detective Gaughenbaugh was survived by his wife, daughter, and father.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-RR-225AC5A3- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Railroad Detective Gaughenbaugh gave the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Police Department 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the Chicago community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Benjamin Earl Gaughenbaugh served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.
Railroad Detective Benjamin Earl Gaughenbaugh is one of 1 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.
In IL, 45 of 1,318 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 3.4% of this state's fallen. That is 3.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Police Department, 1 of 7 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 14.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Cardiac compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Benjamin Earl Gaughenbaugh's cause is highlighted.
How Benjamin Earl Gaughenbaugh Compares
When Cardiac Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Cardiac deaths across the full memorial record. Benjamin Earl Gaughenbaugh is highlighted in Jul.
Incident Location
Military Service
Benjamin Earl Gaughenbaugh served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.
Visit Benjamin Earl Gaughenbaugh’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
6 officers from Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
