Fumes likely cause of 2 deaths at cabin

Star Tribune

Last update: October 20, 2009 - 12:26 AM

A 22-year-old Hutchinson man remained in critical condition Monday, apparently as the result of a malfunctioning furnace that killed his parents Saturday at a cabin near Longville.

Lee Schwarze, 58, and his wife Nancy Schwarze, 55, were found dead Saturday afternoon by relatives. Their son, Michael, was airlifted to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he was still hospitalized Monday. Autopsy results are expected later this week, the Cass County Sheriff's Office said.

Lee Schwarze had recently retired after a long career at the 3M Co. in Hutchinson, and had been driving a school bus, said the Rev. Jon Lindekugel, pastor at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Hutchinson, who married the couple nearly two dozen years ago. Nancy Schwarze had been on the church council and was president of a church women's group.

Inefficient furnaces, portable heaters and fireplaces often emit carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless poisonous gas that can kill people in minutes. About 500 people in the United States die of carbon monoxide poisoning annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

BILL MCauliffe

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