Submitted by: Todd Nowicki

Lancksweerdt, Knapp,Phillippe, Nowicki, Kolecki, Radecki
Anna & Rene Lancksweerdt: (South Bend Tribune 8/17/1936)
PARENTS DEAD OF GAS
GIRL OF EIGHT SAVED BY HER OPEN WINDOWS
Family of the Father Escaped a Similar Fate in 1935   A young man and his wife died early today from the poison of illuminating gas in their home, 19 months after his parents and their family narrowly escaped death from seeping gas in their residence.   The dead are Mr. and Mrs. Rene Lancksweerdt, aged 34 and 32 respectively, of 618 East Irvington avenue, who were found dead in their home this morning by their eight year-old daughter, Betty Jane, when she was awakened shortly after 7 o’clock by an alarm clock in her own room. She called neighbors who called police.   The near tragedy which nearly claimed the lives of Mr. Lancksweerdt’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hector Lancksweerdt, occurred in their home at 210 South Meade street Jan. 24, 1935, when a gas main leading from the street into the basement of their home burst and gas leaked into the home. A younger son coming home at 1 o’clock in the morning from his work, found his parents overcome in their downstairs bedroom and his brothers and sisters partially overcome in their second floor rooms. The entire family was removed to Rene Lancksweerdt’s home, then at 238 ½ South Meade street, to recover.   The body of Mrs. Rene Lancksweerdt, clad in a nightgown, was found beside a bed at the Irvington avenue home today. The father’s body was found where it had fallen on the stairway leading to the second floor of the home. He was dressed only in shorts and an undershirt. He had apparently started to climb the stairway when overcome.   Most Windows Closed   Every window in the house except three in the child’s room were found closed when the coroner and police investigated.   A brass valve fitting immediately under a conventional gas water heater adjacent to the furnace was found broken off. The police and coroner reported finding that the break was a new one and that it had apparently been caused by a twist of some kind from a pipe wrench.   Coroner A.L. Knapp said at noon that he had not found sufficient evidence for a verdict either of suicide or of accidental death. He planned to question the surviving daughter again and neighbors and relatives. He said that he had found no reason for suicide.   No Complaint Found   Likewise, he said, he had not been able to find a record in the files of the Northern Indiana Service company showing that the Lancksweerdt’s had complained of a gas leak recently. The files, however, are being searched further. The coroner placed the time of death at a little before midnight.   The bodies are at the DeVos mortuary in Mishawaka.  

Follow-up Article: (South Bend Tribune August 18, 1936)
DEATH BY GAS HELD ACCIDENT
Coroner Reports He Found No Motive for Suicide   A verdict of accidental death will be returned in the case of Mr. and Mrs. Rene Lancksweerdt, who died early Monday morning from the poison of illuminating gas in their home, 618 East Irvington avenue. Double funeral services will be conducted Thursday morning.   Coroner A.L. Knapp said today he had found no motive for suicide. The two conditions supporting a theory of suicide – the broken brass valve fitting to a gas water heater and the fact that the windows in the room of the Lancksweerdt’s daughter were open while those in their room were closed  - were discounted by Coroner Knapp. He said the broken valve might have resulted from unusual strain on the pipe. The closed windows, he said might be purely accidental.   Will Order Line Inspection   He declared he would order the gas line of the house inspected today by the Northern Indiana Public Service company and by police.   The double funeral services will be conducted at 9 o’clock Thursday morning from Sacred Heart Belgian Catholic church. The bodies are lying in the residence and the rosary will be recited in the church at 7:30 o’clock Wednesday evening. Rev. Edmond T. Phillippe, pastor of the Sacred Heart church, will sing the solemn requiem mass and burial will be in St. Joseph’s Polish cemetery.   Mr. Lancksweerdt, aged 33, was born in Hansbeke, Belgium, Aug. 29, 1902, and came here from that country 20 years ago with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hector Lancksweerdt, who reside at 210 South Meade street. In 1925 he was married to Miss Anna Nowicki, who died with him in the double tragedy. He was employed by the Oliver Farm Equipment company.   Daughter, Eight, Survives   Surviving are their daughter, Betty Jane, aged eight; his parents and three brothers, Maurice, Robert and Alfons, all of this city.   Mrs. Lancksweerdt, 33, was born in South Bend July 16, 1903, and spent her entire life here. She was employed by the Bendix Aviation corporation. She leaves her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Nowicki, of South Bend; two brothers, Bert and Harry Nowicki, of this city, and two sisters, Mrs. Marie Kolecki, South Bend, and Mrs. Lucille Radecki, of Mishawaka.