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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: Joe Romanoski On: 10/8/2007 ID: 336
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before 5233 South Nashville Avenue Chicago Illinois
I was a student at St. Daniel the Prophet Grammar School at the time of the fire. I was eleven years old. I can remember distinctly the day as the "first of December", a new month, not too far from Christmas, and really cold. Like most parochial school kids in Chicago, we marched in and out of school--at St. Daniel's, usually to the Notre Dame fight song. The fire was on the news that night. The kids were just like us. The sisters were just the same. I think every Catholic parochial school was pretty much run the same way back in those days. The picture of the fireman carrying the dead nun down the ladder pretty much tore the guts out of everyone. I suppose every Chicago parochial school kid at the time figured it could have been him\her.

I've just had a chance to read other peoples' recollections. My best wishes to all attending the get-together on October 12th (with Dick Biondi).


Posted by: Fred Becker On: 10/3/2007 ID: 335
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No After n/a
My Grandfather was a lieutenant in the Chicago Fire Dept. and was at the (OLA)fire and was one of the Firemen who helped save some children and carry the deceased children out of the building after the fire. For some odd reason his name was not listed on this web site as one of the firemen even though his hook and ladder crew were first responders to the fire. Fred C. Becker went on to become a Chicago Fire Chief under Mr. Quinn. Out of all the calls he has responded to in his career as a Chicago firefighter, the (OLA) fire haunted him until he died in 1990. He used to tell me how that single fire went on to change his life forever and years later was still very emotional over it. May he and all the children and people involved rest in peace.


Posted by: Ernie B On: 8/24/2007 ID: 334
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Palmer Square
My wife and I have been transfered back to Chicago. I don't know what led me to find this site, but I am so glad I did. I was a Kindergarden student at Morris Park School,10 Blocks East. I used to have to wait for my sister to get out of first grade so we could take a city bus home. I remember being in the school yard when children were running through the school yard. They had blackend sootie faces and Eyes I will never forget. I heard something about a fire, but did not know what it was. My sister and I took our bus home and she forgot her key at school so we had to sit on our back porch until my mother got home. When she did get home, she was pretty upset. She said she heard about a school fire and my father went to the fire to do radio communication with the Red Cross, he was a volunteer. They only knew there was a terrible school fire in the area and did not know which one it was. So they were concerned that we were involved. My father came home very late that night and has never talked about what he heard or saw. We did hear stories about the fire on the news and for a long time after that at our school. We moved out of Chicago soon after that and I have never heard anything about it since. Until this site, then suddenly the memories of the children's faces came back.Thank you for the opportunity to share my memories. Bless you all.


Posted by: marcy walls On: 8/15/2007 ID: 333
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 to young for the fire, but i do remember as a child in grade school they showed us the some of the news clips of this tragedy. I remember thinking how sad this was. I actually got sick to my stomach as we sat there watching as they brought out the children and one of the nuns. I would like to say to all the victims family and the surivors MAY GOD BE WITH YOU ALL.


Posted by: Karen Ertl On: 7/5/2007 ID: 332
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before 1512 W. 51st street Chicago
I was a 3rd grader in another Catholic grade school. The school I attended, St. Augustine, was built much like OLA. I do not remember hearing about the fire until I got home from school that day. My parents were "news junkies", so Mom had the TV on. The nuns talked about the tragedy. We prayed for all involved. We had more fire drills and our building was "sprinklered" about 1 year after.


Posted by: d g On: 6/18/2007 ID: 331
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 OLA 1977-1983
I remember that this tragedy was never spoken of; especially at school. I actually have learned more while viewing this website and by reading the books that have been published. I will never know the pain that was suffered by ALL involved. Since it is not always best to ponder on what would or could have been (even though we all do) I just try to believe that this may have changed many more lives to this day and even though I didn't know those involved. "You are my HEROES!"
GOD BLESS EVERYONE


Posted by: Barbara On: 6/18/2007 ID: 330
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Minneapolis, MN
I was 10 years old on December 1, 1958. The same age as many of the victims. I heard about the fire on the news in Minneapolis. It has stayed with me my entire life. I remember feeling so horribly sad when I realized how so many children needlessly died right before Christmas. I cried. To this day, on December 1, every year I think about the fire and the victims. They are not forgotten.


Posted by: Pauletta Giandonato Stepanek On: 6/17/2007 ID: 329
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before 443 N. Harding Ave. Chicago, Ill.
Here is what I remember about day of the Fire.
I was in the 5th grade at Ryerson school which was located at 646 N. Lawndale and and regularly attended church and catechism classes at Our Lady of Angels (OLA). I had made my confirmation about a week or two before the fire along with the kids from OLA and other surronding schools. At some time in the late afternoon our teacher came in to tell us that there was a fire at Our Lady of Angels, we were to be let out early and told to go straight home. Myself and two other schoolmates/neighbors started walking home and like most kids of that age we were just happy to get out early. Home was the oppposite direction from OLA. After we got about two blocks South of Ryerson School we looked up to see great clouds of thick back gray smoke coming from that direction. At this point we started to realize the seriousness of the situation and began to run home. We now were talking anxiously about our family and friends who are attending OLA especially Teresa Whittaker, David Biscan and my cousin Carol Vinceri. When we reached our block the first thing we did was run over to Thersas home and store. The store was locked and after knocking on the door one of my schoolmates mothers answered. We could hear Thereas mother crying and screaming. What a shock for all of us. My friends went in the store and I went home. Home was just the other side of the street and shortly down the block. When I got home I told my mom what was happening. She immediatly tried calling her sisters home (Carols mother) but the phone had no dial tone. We kept trying to reach Carols home without any success. Carol and her famiy lived only one and a half blocks from our home. My Dad was at work (Zenith Radio) and Mom couldn't leave me and my two baby brothers to find out anything about Carol or the school. We spent several long hours waiting for Dad to get home from work. He arrived later than usual due to the heavy traffic caused by the fire. Once Dad arrived home Mom and I headed to my Aunts house. There was so much traffic that we couldn't cross Ferdinand,a two lane side street; for fifteen minites. During this time we heard sirens in a steady non-stop progression. When we finally arrived at my Aunts house we found that Carol was there and fine. She had been on an errand for one of the nuns only to return and find the school on fire. She stayed to help the nuns with the younger children and then returned home.

After leaving my aunts home we went to the school. A picture was published showing the school after dark with the crane and bright lights on the building. This is the same way I saw the aftermath of the fire. Thus, I will always remember this moment with the cold, noises, smells and anxiety of this life changing event.


Posted by: Kari Morrissey On: 6/9/2007 ID: 328
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 talking to my aunt today on the phone and she mentioned "the fire she was in". I didn't recall ever hearing about it so I asked, "What fire?" From there she told me about the devastating tragity. The fire at her school in 1958.

She told me about her best friend Joanie and how she had died that day. She told me about the children who had jumped and been pushed from windows. She, like many others, said that she still to this day, wherever she goes, looks for the fire escape. Theatres, churches, etc.

I felt a lot of sadness and disbeleif as she told me about it. I asked questions and she answered them. I could tell it still saddens her. She mentioned that it was on the internet and that I could find it f I searched for it. I didn't know the the degree of publicity and devastation it caused, until I looked it up.

I cried as I looked at the photos, and read the story. Read stories of survivors, and stories of the victim's loved ones.

I think it is wonderful that this site has been created for those touched by this horrible occurance. I have been on this website for 4 hours now, and cannot fathom how awful it must have been to experience. God Bless you.

With Love,
Kari Morrissey


Posted by: fran hayman froelich On: 5/15/2007 ID: 327
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before 1531 cleveland evanston, ill.
I was in 6th grade at Oakton School. We had the day off due to an all-city teacher's meeting. A couple of friends of mine and I were watching "Queen For A Day" at my house when the first bulletins broke. At that point, we thought it was hilarious. A real-life fulfillment of all the songs we always made up and sang about the school burning down and giving us what we thought was a permanent vacation. Mostly, tho, we were annoyed at missing our shows.
Of course, the laughter soon stopped, esp. after our parents and teachers corrected us VERY strongly, esp. about the deaths of kids our own age. Somehow, all those songs never seemed funny again to those our age after that.
When we returned to school, we had winter fire drills for the first time. My classroom was on the third floor. The only way out was thru folding metal stairs just outside the windows. I'll never forget the fire drills we had that winter. In the ice and snow of a typical Chicago winter, we had to leave coats behind and go down three flights of those rickety stairs. I still remember how my knees shook even more than I do being cold. (I was too scared).
My family moved from the Chicago area in 1961. In 2005, I returned to Evanston for the first time in nearly 40 years. I headed to Oakton, saw the enclosed fire corridors and said a prayer of thanks and gratitude that no more children had to hope that those outdoor fire stairs would hold up in a fire.