Submitted by: Dan Rich
Apr. 17, 1935 – Nov. 20, 1935
South Bend Tribune 11/20/1935
A verdict of accidental death was indicated today by Coroner A. L. Knapp in the case of Walter R. Roemer, seven-month-old child of Prof. And Mrs. William Roemer, 422 East Angela Boulevard, who died by suffocation in bed Tuesday afternoon. Prof. Roemer teaches in the department of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame.
The coroner found the baby was place in his bed by the mother as usual about 10 o’clock Tuesday morning and his bottle placed on a light downy pillow, which he in turn was laid across the child’s chest.
Mrs. Roemer looked in about 11 o’clock and found the child sleeping. She removed the bottle but did not disturb the light pillow for fear of awakening the child. She looked in again after noon and saw the child sleeping peacefully but again did not remove the pillow for fear of awakening him.
At about 3 o’clock Prof. Roemer went upstairs and awakened an older child. Together they went downstairs to inspect a newly acquired puppy. A short while later he went back upstairs to awaken the baby, Walter, who apparently pulled the light downy pillow up over his head while sleeping. His efforts to awaken the child failing, the father called neighbors for assistance and two doctors were summoned.
Effort to resuscitate the child at St. Joseph hospital were of no avail.
The child was born April 17.
Surviving beside the parents are five brothers, William, Thomas, Joseph, James and Charles, all at home.
The funeral was conducted at 3 o’clock this afternoon from the residence by Rev. Edward J. Finnegan CSC, of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church of Notre Dame. Interment was in Cedar Grove Cemetery.