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Our Lady of the Angels (OLA) School Fire, December 1, 1958
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Personal Experiences with Our Lady of the Angels School Fire

If you have a personal experience, recollection or opinion about the December 1, 1958 Our Lady of the Angels school fire, whether you were present at the fire or not, you can relate it here. Any story or information is welcome as long as it relates to Our Lady of the Angels school fire.
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Posted by: Diane Chauncer On: 8/29/2011 ID: 562
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No After n/a
I have been reading the book "To Sleep with the Angels" lately. I was born in 1963 and I just find this so horrific. I remember hearing my parents talk about this story, but as a kid I didn't pay much attention to it. I grew up not very far from the school, but I'm now married with 3 kids and live in Norridge, Illinois. I could just cry reading this book and what these poor kids and their families have been through. After having children myself, I can understand the horrible grief these parents went through. The death of a child is the absolute worse. Also, the painful process of healing such as skin grafting sounds awful. I hope Irene, Gerry and the other survirors are all doing well and living wonderful lives now. Shame on the archdiocese for allowing children to go to such a "fire-trap" of a school. I went to St. Priscilla's grade school on Addison and this was built in 1927. There were alot of wooden stairs and I never recall any type of sprinkler system. It has recently closed it's doors due to lack of enrollment. All of those victims are now God's little angels. God bless them and their surviving family members.


Posted by: A.J On: 8/16/2011 ID: 561
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No After n/a
I have been volunteering with the newly reopened Our Lady of the Angels Mission. The Franciscans have been laboring intensely for the past few years to restore this parish in order to return a Catholic presence to the neighborhood.

The memorial out from to the fire victims is strikingly beautiful and poignant. Every time I am inside the church working with the restoration work, I always say a prayer for the repose of the souls who perished that day.

Check out the webpage; it has photos of the great work the Franciscans have been doing and of the memorial: http://www.ourladyoftheangelsmission.com/index.html

There is also information how how to get involved with the effort in revitalizing OLA and making the parish a beacon of hope for the residents of the West Side.


Posted by: skye On: 8/11/2011 ID: 560
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No After n/a
I attended a Richmond Va catholic school from 1970-1976. I had one nun there who put our little 3rd grader feet right into the stirrups. She told a horrible story of a school fire when a nun rolled students down the stairs to escape the fire. I was so nervous after that. I remember the school cornerstone that read "AD1952"--just a few years before the OLA fire. It gave me a shudder.

My mother's aunt, a Religious of Christain Education, had a great fear of fire.

The school has been greatly renovated, as I had seen while I attended a meeting in some lower room. Six to eight innocent little tealights sat on a center table, I guess to provide mood lighting. But I was so scared of those little candles I couldnt take my eyes off them. I never went back again.


Posted by: Bill Rogers On: 7/27/2011 ID: 559
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Chicago Heights
My sister and I attended Saint Agnes Catholic School in Chicago Heights in 1958. I remember the fire very well. My little sister had nightmares for months after the fire she was afraid to sleep alone. She was seven at the time. It was a terrible wake up call for school safety. I have thought about those poor kids and their families many times over the years.

Bill Rogers
Morehead City, NC


Posted by: Sam Gallo On: 5/31/2011 ID: 558
Enrolled on 12/1/58? Present on 12/1/58? Injured? Age Grade Classroom Teacher
Yes Yes No 7 2 Unknown Don't remember
I remember waking up that morning and looking out the window and seeing snow. My brother Frank (also in the fire) got dressed and left for school early. We weren't about to let this kind of snow go to waste. All the way there we flung snowballs at basically everything that moved.
When we got to school, the first announcement from the teachers was: There will be no snowball throwing on school property or on the way to or from school. Anyone caught will be sent home. So, needless to say at lunchtime, Frankie and I were in the playground flinging snowballs everywhere. All of a sudden I felt the tap of doom on my shoulder. One of the yard monitors had me cold. Frank came over and we tried to talk him into letting us go but he told us to follow him to the office. I remember praying ALL THE WAY THERE. Finally, we were about two doors away from the office and he decided to give us a break, with the promise that we wouldn't do it again. About three hours later, we were wishing we would have been sent home at noon time.
I was lucky enough to get out right away, and the people who had houses on Avers started bringing us into their homes. I sat there with a front row seat watching as the school went up in flames.
I finally saw the chance to get out of the house and I made a run for the door, but got pulled back by the owner of the house. He asked where I thought I was going, and I told him, I'm going back for my brother.
He tried to assure me that my brother was probably in another neighbors house. I saw a second chance when he was busy on the phone and actually made it part way through the crowd before I felt a tug on my pants pulling me back. It was the owners wife this time. She brought me back in the house again. I sat there at the window, watching these classmates and friends of mine jumping out of the third story windows, their clothes on fire and then hitting the ground. I just couldn't sit there anymore.
My third, and final attempt, I made it all the way through the crowd but a fireman grabbed me and the home owner was right behind me. They brought me back to the house and made sure I couldn't get out again.
I remember my aunt's and uncles arriving and mom and dad. They were horrified because no one was able to find Frank.
They separated and each went to a different hospital and morgue and the temporary morgues that were set up.
They searched for hours and hours looking at the poor lifeless bodies of the children that had perished.
What none of us had realized, was that Frankie had already jumped out of the third story window, crawled over to the little mom and pop store that was across from the playground, and told the owner that the school was on fire. Frankie's picture appeared on the cover of LIFE magazine that month with a fireman, who dubbed him The Littlest Hero.
Frankie passed away a few weeks ago on May 8, 2011, but he always remained My Hero.
Sam Gallo


Posted by: Roobert C. Johnston On: 4/27/2011 ID: 557
Enrolled on 12/1/58? Present on 12/1/58? Injured? Age Grade Classroom Teacher
Yes Yes No 6 1s unknown Don't remember
I don't remember much of what happened exceept a few things that stand out in my mind. One was watching the building burn, two the Sister telling us to get our coats when the alarm said no coats and one of the students reminded the Sister of the alarm and she said do it anyway. The smoke in the hall as we were going out. A woman in the house that we were standing in front of asked the Sister if we could come in her house and not watch the fire. I seemed to wipe out much of the names and memories to this tragedy and have until recently been very angry about not receiving help for emotional fears. The sad part at that time society felt children were more resilient than we really were. I don' know if any amount of money will help some of us but I think a memorial would be a excellent idea both for the students who die and suffered both physical and mental and also the Sister and Priest who suffered. One last thing does anyone remember a Father McDonald?


Posted by: Milicent Butler (nee) Bankhead On: 4/25/2011 ID: 556
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Chicago IL
I was born March 26th 1957, I remember my parents telling about a young boy who nurses would bring to visit me. I caught penemonia when and was admitted to the late just after the fire.

My parents later told me I was lucky for living through such an illness just like the little boy (he was much older) but was told he was good company for such a little girl.

Always on laying face down (must have been very hard for you). My parents said you were a blessing! I offen wonder what ever happened to you.

I am now 54 years old, and because of our crossing paths and my parents never forgetting how much comfort you brought a very scared little girl, I've seldom been afraid of new and strange places or people.Thank you so much for making me the strong person I am today.


Posted by: Kara Hartman Foat On: 4/10/2011 ID: 555
Enrolled on 12/1/58? Present on 12/1/58? Injured? Age Grade Classroom Teacher
Yes Yes No 5 K Sister Remi
Both my sisters Luella Marie Hartman and Ramona Hartman were in the school across the street from the kindergarten class I was in.
The first thing I remember was my mother running in to get me.
We went from hospital to hospital and morgue to morgue, looking for my sister Marie. Mona got out safe and sound, Marie did not.
We went from hospital to hospital looking among all the bodies
to see if we could find her. We finally found her at a hospital
severely burned on her face, scalp, arms and hands. She spent a year in the hospital recovering.

Today she needs a liver transplant due to getting cirrhosis of the liver from contracting Hep C from the blood she received and needed so badly to save her life in 1958. She continues to relive this tradegy
becasue of the Hep C and failed liver.


Posted by: Cheryl On: 4/10/2011 ID: 554
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Hamlin and Division Street
Mostly I remember that about a year after the fire most of the children in my dance class at Marches School of Dance on Pulaski Ave. all had scars. It was actually ok though because so many had scars that no mention was ever made of them and those children were just like everybody else. I never really spoke to anyone about it.

The day of the fire all I remember... since, I lived at Hamlin and Division (about 2 blocks from the school) was the sound of ambulances and police going straight down Hamlin to get to the school.

Another memory is just how few children were playing in the neighborhood after the fire, it seemed so many disappeared.

The stories were horrific of a man who ran in to save children and had them hanging all over him, but that when he saw his own he could not pick him up. Children were already on his back and his legs hanging on.

This is first time I have ever spoken of some of my memories...those children were beautiful and if there is one good thing to come out of this it is that never would they put kindergarten children high up in the school again (it's law now). Also multiple ways out,not one long hallway. May they all rest in peace.
I still feel sadness at the loss of such beautiful children. Hope this helps somebody by hearing how survivors were so well accepted at Dance School and never made to feel less.


Posted by: David C. On: 3/30/2011 ID: 553
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No After n/a
I first read of the fire at OLA in 1981 or 82 in high school. in a book called "Inferno: 14 Firey Tragedies of Our Time" by Hal Butler. It told a small part of that terrible Monday in 1958, I have read the survivors stories and explored this website extensively. I have even bookmarked it and I am so saddened by the loss of young life, but also uplifted by the heroic actions of the persons who were there. I am continuing to research this terrible moment in history. I'd like to say thank you for an excellent website to the website master and designers.I hope that the world will never forget and never experience a tragedy like this ever again.
God bless the victims, the survivors and their families.
Dave C.