Raymond J. Strawinski died attempting to save Marianna V. Krogerus from burning, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, January 27, 1961. At night fire broke out in the living room of a one-story frame dwelling where Marianna, 17, an exchange student from Finland, made her home with Strawinski, 44, college instructor, his wife, and their daughter. Wakened by the smell of smoke, the daughter ran to the living room, beyond which were the kitchen and the bedroom of her parents, and found it in flames. She returned to her bedroom and called to Marianna, who answered. The daughter then left the dwelling through an outside door in her bedroom and, after rousing her parents, ran to a neighboring house to telephone firemen. Strawinski and his wife left the dwelling through the kitchen door but immediately noticed that Marianna was missing. His wife called but received no reply. Strawinski stated that he was going to get Marianna and re-entered the kitchen, from which a door led to the living room and thence to her bedroom. His wife moved to the kitchen doorway, where heat was intense, and could hear him moving about in the dark. He then called out that he could not find the door. Immediately thereafter the kitchen ceiling fell in. Strawinski’s wife tried to enter the dwelling by other doors but was forced to retreat because of the heat and flames. She sustained burns for which she later was hospitalized and recovered. Fireman extinguished the flame, but the dwelling was a total loss. Marianna’s body was found in the doorway of the living room. Strawinski’s body was found in the kitchen.
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