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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: Jamie Furlong On: 4/26/2005 ID: 222
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No After n/a
After coming across this web site a few months ago I cannot get this horrific story out of my mind. My mom was eleven years old at the time of the fire. She had attended a parochial school in Aurora at the time & she vividly remembers hearing the news. I know it affected her because so many of the children that died were around her age. I was wondering if Angels Too Soon would be broadcast again?


Posted by: Patti On: 3/29/2005 ID: 221
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before
I know the webmaster frowns upon this (and I can understand why) but I feel compelled to respond to the post by Jo. She said that she was told children were instructed to stay at their desks and pray. Although that may have been the case when smoke was first noticed, there was no evidence that the children were told to stay at their desks beyond that. There were no classrooms with children still at their desks, hands folded. In fact, survivors have posted that the nuns told them to go to the windows, helping them up to the sills and in some cases pushing children to save them. I don't mean to cause any problems by this post, but I feel that by not doing so, others may think the worst of the nuns. It's not the poster's fault, this was the story she was told, a rumor that was spread and seems to keep coming back every now and then. And although it may seem strange, that story may have helped one person deal with her child's death. I do know of one case where a mother was actually comforted by the story, not fully realizing what horror her child went through, but believing her child died peacefully at that desk, and only being burned after dying. Perhaps knowing the truth will help Jo in some way.


Posted by: Bob On: 3/28/2005 ID: 220
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Philadelphia, PA
I was attending Catholic School and was in the 8th grade. I remember that we prayed for those who perished. Now, fast forward to December1967. I served in the Seabees in Vietnam and was near the DMZ building bunkers.It was Christmas and we were given packages from people in the States. The box I received was from the 3rd grade students from Our lady of Angeles school. I will never forget it and it has stayed with me all this time.
I've always wanted to thank those kids so here it is. THANKS!


Posted by: Jo On: 3/20/2005 ID: 219
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before San Diego. CA
I was in second grade at a local Catholic school and I remembered we all had to pray for the children who perished. I was struck by the iame of the children who were told to pray and not to escape. I remember my dad tellign me about the toxic gases. He also told me the fire was started by accident, a student smoking nad trying to hide his still lit cigarrette in a trashcan. It scared me very much. The image of those doomed children praying at their desks haunts me fresh as when I first conceived it. Blessings to all who hear or remember the story. The lessons learned should not be lost!


Posted by: Marnie Reeves On: 3/18/2005 ID: 218
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Detroit, MI
I was in the 5th grade at St. Jude elementary school on Detroit's east side when the OLA fire happened. I remember our teacher telling us about it, and then bringing in newspaper articles about the tragedy and having us remember the OLA students in our daily prayers. I think one of the newspapers she brought to class one day must have been from Chicago, because it was one with individual photos of all the kids who'd died in the fire, and seeing children my age who had died scared the living daylights out of me. I had nightmares about being trapped in burning buildings.

Many years later, I was on vacation with my mom and the fire alarm in the hotel started ringing in the middle of the night. I bolted up immediately, grabbed our purses, and guided my sleepwalking mom down the stairs and outside. There were only a handful of other pajama'd people standing outside, and most were grumbling about the inconvenience. A man from the hotel office came out and announced "false alarm" and urged everyone to return to their rooms. But I was scared, and decided to walk around the building outside to calm down. When I got to the back, I smelled smoke. I dashed to the office, had the guy call 911, and about five minutes later we heard a loud "kaboom." Luckily, the fire department arrived right after that, and put out a fire that had started (and luckily was contained) in the laundry room. Moral of the story: take EVERY fire alarm seriously!!


Posted by: John A Gorski On: 3/13/2005 ID: 217
Enrolled on 12/1/58? Present on 12/1/58? Injured? Age Grade Classroom Teacher
Yes Yes No 8 3 ? ?
Try and remember a tragic event that has left a scar in your mind for all time is a very hard thing to do. But for the most part I remember just the alarm going off and filing out into the street by the convent and then looking around and seeing the building on fire between the rectory and school...then the teacher telling us to go home if we lived close by or go to the church...Since I lived at 935 north Avers, I ran home...running along Hamlin Ave. to Stachura's home next to the church, cutting through their yard and into the alley..at that point without a jacket or hat...I really didn't feel the cold when I seen what really was the problem. I stood transfixed as I seen the many ladders against the school...the smoke and flames that were coming out of the roof and windows...the screams the shouts the confusion that was in that alley...I was pushed by someone I knew to get to the candy store. I got pushed along the alley to Avers Ave and into the Store...Barabra grabbed me and kissed me and pushed me to the back room where Helen was already...Helen was Barabra's Daughter and I was sweet on her and the Golwacki's were good friends of the family...Helen and I watched out the window for a long time...we were transfixed by what we were watching...But when the bodies were begining to be brought out, Barabra came back and saw us watching and closed the curtains and told me to go home...she gave me a blanket and pushed me out the back door and said go home...Which I did...I got home and watched what I could from our porch windows until my dad and two sisters finally came home...I never answered the telephone..it kept ringing...my parents were divorced at the time and it turned out to be my mother calling and calling...when everyone was finally home...my dad told us to accept it for what it was...then he told me that Mark Stachura had died...he knew Mark and I were best friends. This bothered me and I wanted to go to his home and see for my self...I was told to forget it and go to bed.
I did but the thoughts and memories of this day live on. At times those thoughts are so vivid I can smell the smoke. I can hear the screams. My memories are clouded by time and distance. But whenever I do go back to the neighborhood it all comes back to me...what was there and what was done after the fire and what has happened to the neighborhood now. I miss the old neighborhood...my friends...the summer nights...the ball games on the corner of Iowa and Avers...the softball team...and even the Sunday morning 9am mass...ah, but to relive a summer in the city eh!


Posted by: Pat On: 3/5/2005 ID: 216
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Hammond, Indiana
Like so many of the rest of you, this is one memory that is totally unforgetable. I was home sick from school that day too, and was watching the fire coverage on TV. I was frightened then, and that has remained with me my entire life. I am one of those who always reads the excape routes on the back of the door in hotels.

We moved to Illinois in 1963, and then I attended a school built around 1890 with a fire escape that was never used and the wooden stair case and wooden floors. I was happy to graduate from 8th grade there--the last day of school, the 8th graders were "allowed" to slide down the fire escape slide tunnels. They were not used at any other time, such as during fire drills. I used to sit as close to them as possible, even tho it was cold in the winter, just in case. My high school was only 10 years old, all on one level and had plenty of doors. Still, as many of us baby boomers as were packed into the halls while changing classes, any emergency would have made it difficult to exit, especially if anyone panicked.

All of the memories were brought back again on 9/11. We watched the news program where people were jumping from the twin towers to escape the inferno of burning jet fuel.

God bless you all.


Posted by: jane neubauer On: 2/24/2005 ID: 215
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No After n/a
i found the book TO SLEEP WITH THE ANGLES on my moms night stand and started reading it its a touching story. Richard Scheidt is my moms best friends husbands dad. im not done with the book yet but ive cried already and thats saying something.


Posted by: Cristal On: 2/22/2005 ID: 214
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No After n/a
This past month i have been doing alot of research regarding Our Lady of Angels School Fire. I have read many interesting things. Up until this last month i had never heard of any of this before. All i want to say is that even though i didn't know all those kids that died and their families i feel really bad. while i was reading the stories of those who survived tears were coming out of my eyes because i can't imagine going through anything like that. GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU AND R.I.P THOSE ANGELS WHO DIED.


Posted by: Marilyn Neenan On: 2/17/2005 ID: 213
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Wilson, Arkansas
I found this site quite by accident, but I believe by divine providence. In 1958 I was almost 10 years old and attending school in a building very much like Our Lady of the Angels. I believe I was born with a terror of fire and my school had always scared me . . . all the polished wood and an ornate open staircase which was the only way on or off the third floor, high ceilings and transoms over the doors. Grades 1 - 12 were in the building. It was a small town. It had no fire escape except for stairs leaving the auditorium at the rear of the large building and a very rickety metal fire escape from the penthouse on the roof where typing classes were held. I was fearful before December 1, 1958 and afterwards it was worse. Everything I feared had happened to other children. It was useless for my parents to tell me not to worry. I suffered through another 5 years dreading every day until the town built a new glass and steel 1 story school. I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched the wrecking ball demolish the old school. The fire in Chicago had a profound effect on me. I never knew any of the people involved but it did not matter. I was devastated at their loss. Never a week has passed that OLA has not entered my thoughts in some way. I finally decided to read "To Sleep with the Angels" and face my demons. I cried again, but at least I know more now. I still find it hard to understand how we could have been allowed to attend school is such places. . . old, perhaps beautiful, but oh so dangerous. I enrolled my daughter in a private school in 1985 because her assigned public school in Memphis was an old red brick 3 story building built in the 1930's. I couldn't afford it really, but I could do nothing else. I would have been fearful of leaving her every day. I am glad I found this website. Most of all I want to finally say to the victims, and you are victims just as surely as if you too had perished that day. . . please know you are loved and prayed for still in places far from the neighborhoods of Chicago.