The following provided by Find A Grave contributor "Cara":
Great Falls Tribune (MT),18 March 1970
Rites Pend For Victim Of Explosion
Funeral arrangements are pending for Robin Podbielski, 22, who was killed in an explosion here late Tuesday afternoon.
The young man was born in Great Falls Dec. 31, 1947 to Mr. and Mrs. Jerome L. Podbielski. He was raised here and graduated from C.M. Russell High School in that school's first graduating class. He was a senior in art in Eastern Montana College in Billings.
He was a member of Boy Scouts and Order of DeMolay. He was enrolled in distributive education in high school and also worked in the circulation department for the former Leader. He was a member of the Episcopal church.
He had taken first prize in the first student art show at Eastern last spring. He had planned to return to Billings on Sunday to prepare five entries for this year's art show. He planned to be an art teacher, so he worked in all media.
Surviving are his parents, who moved from Great Falls to East Shore of Flathead Lake, near Bigfork, in 1966; two sisters, Theodora of Phoenix, Ariz., and Lydia, who is attending Kalispell Community College; a brother, Jerome E., with the Army at the Presidio, San Francisco; his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Emma Brown of Great Falls; two uncles in Great Falls, Earl Brown and Frank Podbielski; two aunts in Billings and an aunt in California.
----
Great Falls Tribune (MT), 18 March 1970 (front page)
Man Dies in Residence Blast (Excerpt)
One youth was killed and another injured about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in an explosion and fire that gutted the interior of the Clarence H. Wright home, 3316 13th Ave. S.
Dead is Robin Podbielski, 22, Bigfork. Cascade county coroner said he probably died instantly from suffocation. In serious condition is Robert Wright, 21, with second and third degree burns on his left arm and around his face and possible lung damage. Fireman said they were told by Wright that he and Podbielski were in the home basement mixing 13 pounds of sulphur with 39 pounds of zinc to make a type of solid rocket fuel. He told them that a hot plate had failed to provide sufficient heat to fuse the mixture and that they then kindled some fuel in a fireplace with a butane torch. Minutes later the mixture ignited and the explosion followed.
Great Falls Tribune (MT),18 March 1970
Rites Pend For Victim Of Explosion
Funeral arrangements are pending for Robin Podbielski, 22, who was killed in an explosion here late Tuesday afternoon.
The young man was born in Great Falls Dec. 31, 1947 to Mr. and Mrs. Jerome L. Podbielski. He was raised here and graduated from C.M. Russell High School in that school's first graduating class. He was a senior in art in Eastern Montana College in Billings.
He was a member of Boy Scouts and Order of DeMolay. He was enrolled in distributive education in high school and also worked in the circulation department for the former Leader. He was a member of the Episcopal church.
He had taken first prize in the first student art show at Eastern last spring. He had planned to return to Billings on Sunday to prepare five entries for this year's art show. He planned to be an art teacher, so he worked in all media.
Surviving are his parents, who moved from Great Falls to East Shore of Flathead Lake, near Bigfork, in 1966; two sisters, Theodora of Phoenix, Ariz., and Lydia, who is attending Kalispell Community College; a brother, Jerome E., with the Army at the Presidio, San Francisco; his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Emma Brown of Great Falls; two uncles in Great Falls, Earl Brown and Frank Podbielski; two aunts in Billings and an aunt in California.
----
Great Falls Tribune (MT), 18 March 1970 (front page)
Man Dies in Residence Blast (Excerpt)
One youth was killed and another injured about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in an explosion and fire that gutted the interior of the Clarence H. Wright home, 3316 13th Ave. S.
Dead is Robin Podbielski, 22, Bigfork. Cascade county coroner said he probably died instantly from suffocation. In serious condition is Robert Wright, 21, with second and third degree burns on his left arm and around his face and possible lung damage. Fireman said they were told by Wright that he and Podbielski were in the home basement mixing 13 pounds of sulphur with 39 pounds of zinc to make a type of solid rocket fuel. He told them that a hot plate had failed to provide sufficient heat to fuse the mixture and that they then kindled some fuel in a fireplace with a butane torch. Minutes later the mixture ignited and the explosion followed.
The following provided by Find A Grave contributor "Cara":
Great Falls Tribune (MT),18 March 1970
Rites Pend For Victim Of Explosion
Funeral arrangements are pending for Robin Podbielski, 22, who was killed in an explosion here late Tuesday afternoon.
The young man was born in Great Falls Dec. 31, 1947 to Mr. and Mrs. Jerome L. Podbielski. He was raised here and graduated from C.M. Russell High School in that school's first graduating class. He was a senior in art in Eastern Montana College in Billings.
He was a member of Boy Scouts and Order of DeMolay. He was enrolled in distributive education in high school and also worked in the circulation department for the former Leader. He was a member of the Episcopal church.
He had taken first prize in the first student art show at Eastern last spring. He had planned to return to Billings on Sunday to prepare five entries for this year's art show. He planned to be an art teacher, so he worked in all media.
Surviving are his parents, who moved from Great Falls to East Shore of Flathead Lake, near Bigfork, in 1966; two sisters, Theodora of Phoenix, Ariz., and Lydia, who is attending Kalispell Community College; a brother, Jerome E., with the Army at the Presidio, San Francisco; his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Emma Brown of Great Falls; two uncles in Great Falls, Earl Brown and Frank Podbielski; two aunts in Billings and an aunt in California.
----
Great Falls Tribune (MT), 18 March 1970 (front page)
Man Dies in Residence Blast (Excerpt)
One youth was killed and another injured about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in an explosion and fire that gutted the interior of the Clarence H. Wright home, 3316 13th Ave. S.
Dead is Robin Podbielski, 22, Bigfork. Cascade county coroner said he probably died instantly from suffocation. In serious condition is Robert Wright, 21, with second and third degree burns on his left arm and around his face and possible lung damage. Fireman said they were told by Wright that he and Podbielski were in the home basement mixing 13 pounds of sulphur with 39 pounds of zinc to make a type of solid rocket fuel. He told them that a hot plate had failed to provide sufficient heat to fuse the mixture and that they then kindled some fuel in a fireplace with a butane torch. Minutes later the mixture ignited and the explosion followed.
Great Falls Tribune (MT),18 March 1970
Rites Pend For Victim Of Explosion
Funeral arrangements are pending for Robin Podbielski, 22, who was killed in an explosion here late Tuesday afternoon.
The young man was born in Great Falls Dec. 31, 1947 to Mr. and Mrs. Jerome L. Podbielski. He was raised here and graduated from C.M. Russell High School in that school's first graduating class. He was a senior in art in Eastern Montana College in Billings.
He was a member of Boy Scouts and Order of DeMolay. He was enrolled in distributive education in high school and also worked in the circulation department for the former Leader. He was a member of the Episcopal church.
He had taken first prize in the first student art show at Eastern last spring. He had planned to return to Billings on Sunday to prepare five entries for this year's art show. He planned to be an art teacher, so he worked in all media.
Surviving are his parents, who moved from Great Falls to East Shore of Flathead Lake, near Bigfork, in 1966; two sisters, Theodora of Phoenix, Ariz., and Lydia, who is attending Kalispell Community College; a brother, Jerome E., with the Army at the Presidio, San Francisco; his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Emma Brown of Great Falls; two uncles in Great Falls, Earl Brown and Frank Podbielski; two aunts in Billings and an aunt in California.
----
Great Falls Tribune (MT), 18 March 1970 (front page)
Man Dies in Residence Blast (Excerpt)
One youth was killed and another injured about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in an explosion and fire that gutted the interior of the Clarence H. Wright home, 3316 13th Ave. S.
Dead is Robin Podbielski, 22, Bigfork. Cascade county coroner said he probably died instantly from suffocation. In serious condition is Robert Wright, 21, with second and third degree burns on his left arm and around his face and possible lung damage. Fireman said they were told by Wright that he and Podbielski were in the home basement mixing 13 pounds of sulphur with 39 pounds of zinc to make a type of solid rocket fuel. He told them that a hot plate had failed to provide sufficient heat to fuse the mixture and that they then kindled some fuel in a fireplace with a butane torch. Minutes later the mixture ignited and the explosion followed.
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