Sudden Death Of Blair Housewife Attributed To Monoxide Poisoning

Mrs. Leonard Mathiesen Found Dead by Her Husband

A BRIDE OF 3 MONTHS

Upon returning from his work Tuesday noon Leonard Mathiesen found his wife of but a few months dead in bed. When he left in the morning he had left her apparently well and happy. When he found her she had removed her shoes and had lain down as though to rest.

Luella Andersen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Goldberg Andersen, was born on a farm west of Blair on September 27, 1915. Here she grew to womanhood and on December 12, 1936, was married to Leonard Mathiesen.

The young people made a home on North Center street in Blair and were happy in their brief wedded life and when death so suddenly claimed the bride of only a few short months the shock to the husband and the family was almost unbearable.

Mrs. Mathiesen was a young woman of good character, a member of the First Lutheran church of Blair and has a number of friends who will greatly miss her. The sympathy of a wide circle of friends goes out to the grief stricken young husband.

The attending physician, after a blood test, announced that the cause of the death was monoxide gas. The chimney leading from the circulating gas heater, it is supposed became clogged forcing the fumes into the room.

Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 2 o’clock from the First Lutheran church with Rev. James Lund officiating and interment in the Blair cemetery.

#2-Pilot Tribune 1 April 1937

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Former Luella Andersen, is Dead

ACCIDENTAL DEATH THEORY ACCEPTED

Investigation Shows Soot-Clogged Chimney Forced Exhaust from Gas Heater into Home to Result Fatally to Local Housewife

Victim of monoxide gas, Mrs. Leonard Mathiesen, 21, a bride of three months, was found dead in bed at her home on north West street Tuesday noon by her husband when he came home for lunch. She had been in the best of health and only Tuesday morning had arisen early to prepare breakfast for Mr. Mathiesen before he left for his work at the Blair Top & Tire company.

An autopsy performed at the Bendorf Funeral Home by Dr. Raymond Burr revealed that monoxide poisoning had caused Mrs. Mathiesen’s death.

Investigation at the home of the couple revealed that a circu-? ? ? had been attached to a soot clogged chimney, which refused to allow the waste monoxide to escape. The gas, odorless, had seeped into the house. Both Mr. Mathisen and Dr. Burr were affected by the gas Tuesday noon while they were airing the house.

MARRIED IN DECEMBER

Mrs. Mathiesen, the former Miss Luella Andersen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Goldberg Andersen, and Mr. Mathiesen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Fritz Mathiesen, were married December 12, 1936, by the Rev. James N. Lund, pastor of First Lutheran church.

Surviving her are her husband and parents, two brothers, Hans and Walter, and two sisters, Mrs. Albert Quist and Miss Catherine Andersen. All are Blairites.

Funeral services will be conducted Friday at 2 p.m. at First Lutheran church, the Rev. James N. Lund officiating. Interment will be in Blair cemetery.

#3-8 Apr., 1937 - The Enterprise

RITES HELD FOR MRS. MATHIESEN

More than two hundred persons attended the last rites for Mrs. Leonard Mathieson, 22, at the Danish Lutheran church in this city last Friday afternoon. Mrs. Mathiesen was a victim of Monoxide gas poisoning in her home on Tuesday of last week. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Goldberg Andersen of west of Blair, and was a bride of less than four months at the time of the fatal accident.

Also another article 13 MAY, 1937 - The Enterprise

ASK $101,000 IN MONOXIDE DEATH CASE

Damage Suit Filed in District Court Over Death of Mrs. L. Matthieson

TRAGEDY MARCH 30th

A suit for damages amounting to a total of $101,000 was filed in district court last Monday by Leonard Matthiessen against Montgomery-Ward and Company, a corporation, the Iowa-Nebraska Light and Power Co., a corporation and Northern Natural Gas Co., a corporation.

The cause of the action was the death of Mrs. Leonard Matthiessen, who on March 30th was found dead in bed when her husband returned from work at noon. The attending physician, after a diagnoses of the case gave it as his opinion that her death was caused by monoxide gas.

The complaint stated that a circulating gas heater was purchased of Montgomery-Ward and Co. and that it was represented to be suitable for the burning of natural gas and that the claim was false and it also states that the company knew that the claim was false.

The complaint also states that the gas was odorless and unsafe and dangerous and that it was the duty of all the companies concerned to warn the users against the danger and that they were negligent in their duty that the gas should have been odorized.

The damages asked are said to cover the medical care and funeral and other expenses to the amount of $1,000 and the remaining $100,000 is for the grief sustained and the loss of the wife to Mr. Matthiesen.

The attorney handling the case for Mr. Matthiesen is Mr. Walter A. Nielsen of Omaha.

#4-Blair Newspapers Apr 1937 Monoxide Gas Kills Woman

Clogged Flue Blame for Blair Death

Blair, Neb., March 30 (U.P.)

Authorities here Tuesday night said investigation indicated the death of Mrs. Leonard Mathiesen, 22, a bride of three and half months, in her home Tuesday was due to monoxide gas escaping from a circulating gas heater while she slept. Clogging of the chimney by soot is blamed.

Mrs. Mathiesen’s body was found Tuesday noon by her husband when he returned home from work. He said she had prepared his breakfast in the morning and was apparently was in good health when he left for his work.

Mr. and Mrs. Mathiesen were both members of prominent Blair families.

Mrs Matthiesen (Luella Andersen before her marriage) was graduated from Blair High school in 1932, and had attended Dana College.

Surviving are her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Goldberg Andersen, two brothers, Hans and Walter, and two sisters, Mrs. Alfred Quist and Miss Katherine, all of this locality.

~~ Obituaries courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. News clippings on file in the Blair, Nebraska Public Library~~~ FindaGrave #111246475