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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: cosimo j. digiovanni f.f.sq.10 On: 10/25/2013 ID: 628
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before chicago
george cannella shown as a member of sq.10 was a student not a fireman. he die with his class mates 7gr. his father and i our 1st.couisn. when we arrive lt.tom lyons and company went to the second floor bringing children down to waiting police cars for transportation to hospitals. after brin frist little boy down i started to go back to the second floor class room when i heard my name being call, it was my uncle george sr. and his son george calling me. they started to tell me they cant find little george i explain. to them they could be in some one home,then my cousin told me his class room was on the second floof, it was the same room i remove the first child from. the next time i saw my family was at the wake. im 86yr.old now and this is the first time i have talk about this disaster. ola was both family cannella and digiovanni parish. my late wife and i was marriage at ola feb. 7th. 1948.


Posted by: Dennis Mc On: 8/22/2013 ID: 627
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before 72 & Yates, Chicago
Had been discharged from the Army in Sept. Had a wife and two infant boys. Having attended Catholic grade schools on the South Side was very attuned to a strong Catholic Education of the time. We were emotionally crushed and immediately volunteered for the Special Blood Drive for the victims. Had to travel to the Roseland Area on the far South Side as the closest donor location. There were lines of tearful donors.


Posted by: Ellen Chavez On: 8/15/2013 ID: 626
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before South Side of Chicago
I had just started Kindergarten that September when the fire happened. What I remember after that was the fire drills we had in school, twice a month for the rest of the school year, and monthly after that. We were trained to line up, and leave with the teacher as quickly as possible - no coats, hats, or even shoes. I remember going down the fire escape from the third floor gym in the snow.

In every school I went to, the fire drills were done with a religious intensity. We were trained to leave everything and get out.

As a Director of early childhood and school age programs, I make sure that parents are oriented to the fire and disaster drills that we have in our programs. I tell them about the OLA fire, and the profound effect it has in our city and that it prompted the school building codes and fire drills nation-wide. They often object to us moving the children out of the building without wraps - but the children are moved to another agency building close by when the weather is inclement. I remind that most children who die in fires at home were hiding in closets or under beds, and that many had gone back for belongings. Once they understand this, they usually join in the drills when present.


Posted by: paul On: 5/22/2013 ID: 625
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before North ave and Pulaski
I lived less than a mile from OLA and was a seventh grader at St. Philomena school. i remember getting out of school that day and hearing there was a fire at OLA. My friend and I drove our bikes to the school and by the time we arrived the firemen were taking the children who perished out of the school.
I still remember seeing the faces of the parents in complete horror and panic looking for their children. I remember growing up in the neighbor and there were some pretty tough cops and they too were in complete shock at the sight and each one I saw had tears in their eyes as they loaded the bodies in the paddy wagons.
A friend sent me a copy of "To Sleep with the Angels" and it brought back memories of the fire and after looking for more information I ran across this site.
I still get a little teary eyed when I think back to that day in December when the lives of so many people were changed.


Posted by: jayne (Mc Elroy) thorpe On: 5/12/2013 ID: 624
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before i don't remember
that day is always on my mind my dad took me shopping it was my birthady we hear all the noise with the fire trucks amulances dad said it was bad they would not let us go that way to go home we had to go along way around we seen on news how horrific it was for a 12 year old i am now 66 and it still gets to me get to me on my birthday i say a prayer for all that died and lived


Posted by: Michelle On: 5/2/2013 ID: 623
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No After n/a
I was not alive at the time of this tragedy but my cousin, Beverly Burda, perished in this fire. I do not know a lot of the details as it was not really talked about in our family much that I can remember. But I do remember my grandmother talking about it one time and showing us pictures. Ironically I work in the fire alarm industry and after reading all the deficiencies it saddens me to know such an event could have been avoided.


Posted by: Jean Kennedy Hunter On: 4/12/2013 ID: 622
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Stamford, Connecticut
I don't even know how this event came to my consciousness today, but I saw some mention of a Chicago parochial school fire in 1958, and it stirred a vague memory. At that time I attended a parochial school that had been built in 1906. After reading the site, I mentioned to my husband that when I started school we did not have stairwells protected from smoke, but this was fixed later. Then I mentioned that when I was in second grade, we had the old-fashioned desks with the wrought iron and inkwells. I told him they remodeled the school at the end of that year and
we had the modern desks the next year. It then hit me that they remodeled the school's interior the summer after the OLA fire. Like the Triangle Shirtwaist disaster and the Hartford circus fire, one legacy of these tragedies is that new regulations go through and people pay attention. The rest of us benefitted from the sacrifice of the children of OLA.


Posted by: Carolyn Willard (Kedzior) On: 4/6/2013 ID: 621
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before 1145 N Long Ave
I attended elementary school at Our Lady Help of Christians all 8 years. I was 10 years old when the fire happened. I remember it well because afterward we were asked to share our desks with those students that were displaced. So, every day I remember hauling all my books home in the afternoon, with work that had to be finished by the next morning. I was pretty young but remember how sad I felt for those that lost their lives and the families that were left behind. I really can't remember how long we shared our school this way. But I imagine it may have been until their new school was finished.
I am now 65 and I haven't thought about this incident from my life for some time. Amazingly enough, I woke this morning remembering my grade school, the next moment being that of Our Lady of Angels fire. Which led me to this Web Site. This site is fantastic and I want to commend those responsible for keeping the memory alive. 55 years is total dedication and I thank you for that.


Posted by: Johny goldmanson On: 4/3/2013 ID: 620
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before 3452 n Washtenaw
I was making fun stuff and other thing but it is very touching. Rock on!


Posted by: Jorge Calderon On: 4/3/2013 ID: 619
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No After n/a
I am doing a project on this fire and all of your story's really help! Thank you sooooo much!