OLAFire Logo
Our Lady of the Angels (OLA) School Fire, December 1, 1958
nUserID=0

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.
Click here to add your OLA fire experience.        

Posted by: shepsmom On: 9/1/2008 ID: 377
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before waukegan, IL
I just finished reading To Sleep With the Angels - how very sad!
I was only an infant at the time; my dad was stationed in the army in Waukegan during 1957-58. We lived in Massachsetts after that. Years later at a church function, a visiting priest, when introduced to my parents, immediately asked if we were related to Joe Cussen, the parish priest of OLA. I wonder if anyone has more background info on Msrg. Cussen? The book's epilogue mentions a brother and sister, who he lived with when he passed away. Additionally, what prompted me to locate the account of the fire is that my mom heard a news report about Barack Obama attending some interfaith event in the Chicago area and it mentioned a "Msrg. Cussen" ... is there possibly another one? Thank you for any information shared and to the survivors, my thoughts and prayers go out to you.


Posted by: MaryClaire On: 8/15/2008 ID: 376
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Baltimore
I was in the first grade at Catholic school in Baltimore that looked so much like OLA it's eerie. The interior, the wooden staricases, the basement and hallways, all the same. Even the little corner store at the corner to the left of the school, where you stopped to buy penny candy, the rectory, the convent...all the same.
All through grade school an awareness of a terrible Catholic school tragedy hung over us, though I don't remember knowing the name of the school, or exactly what happened just that it was in midwest of America somewhere and its fate was somehow connected with very serious and frequent firedrills in my neck of the woods.
I am not usually emotional over public events involving people I don't know, but somehow this site hit me in the solar plexus and I connected immediately. Anyone who was in Catholic school at the time cannot help seeing themselves and their friends in these class pictures.
Those who perished faced something few people ever have to go through, as did the survivors, who must feel very alone with their memories at times, a pain uncommunicable. The adults at the time of the fire must have felt that way and that's why there was little discussion. What's to discuss? What's the use? Sometimes when you are deeply in pain, no sound comes out.
But I am so glad the OLAngels survivors have started this web site. The tributes are so beautiful and what happened is well described. The personal accounts are priceless. I have been introduced to a whole community I'd not known. Thank you and my prayers for all of you. Anyone who suffered through that is closer to the angels.


Posted by: Martha Escalante On: 8/10/2008 ID: 375
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 born 5 months after the tragedy and I remember having fire drills ever since I started Kindergarten in 1964, but it wasn't until I was in the fifth grade at Immaculate Conception Catholic School on 88th & Commercial Ave that I finally learned why we even had fire drills. A few of my classmates didn't take it seriously one day when the drill bell went off. They acted silly and mocked the whole thing.My teacher, Sr. Floriette got very angry and yelled at them. After it was all over and we were back in the classroom, she told us about the OLA fire. I understood then why it was so vital that we have fire drills. Later on when I was in high school in the mid to late 70's, there was a full article in The Chicago Tribune Sunday issue about a father who's son was a student at OLA when it happened. I read the whole article and was so saddened by it. The boy's father literally ran to the school after getting a phone call from a neighbor that the school was on fire. He found his son's body among others after searching for him. Afterwards, he learned that his son and another boy had actually gotten out of the building, but they both returned for fear of being punished! Now why would those poor children even think that?! If only they hadn't gone back in, they would've lived! I still remember the boy's picture in the paper. He was dressed as an alter boy with a very big smile on his face. By the way, I remember his name. It was John David. I don't remember his last name. Everytime I think about that story, I feel a lump in my throat, also my heart still goes out to his poor father.


Posted by: MomM On: 7/31/2008 ID: 374
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 born only a few short years after the OLA fire. In the mid 1960s, I attended St. Giles Catholic School in Oak Park IL. We had MANY MANY fire drills, and our Nun and the lay teacher were always very anxious to get us out of the building as fast as possible.

I was a slow, pokey child, and took my time with things. During one mid winter fire drill, I had my snow pants, coat, hat, scarf, mittens, and snow boots (lined with bread bags, so I could get them on easier, and to keep them waterproof.) to put on before exiting the building. I was taking my time, as the alarm bell rang, most of the children were already out the door. The doors to the playground were only a few feet away from the cloak room, and I didn't feel I needed to hurry, as we had fire drills so frequently. All of a sudden, while I was trying to put on my boots, Sr Maria Imelda (a formidable women who did put the Fear of God into us Kindergartners) came up to me, grabbed me and started shaking me.

I started to cry, and SHE began to cry. (!) She yelled, "You have to move FASTER. Do you understand? You are too slow. Do YOU WANT TO BURN UP IN THE FIRE LIKE THOSE OTHER CHILDREN? HUH? DO YOU?" I was really scared, Sr never acted like this, and had no idea what she was talking about. She picked me up, leaving my boots and my shoes in the cloak room, and carried me out the door, both of us in tears.

I was crying for my boots, and because Sr had yelled at me (I as usually a very well behaved child, and almost never got into trouble) and I didn't know why Sr was crying, too. It was just a Fire Drill, we had them all the time. (This was the thinking of a very young, sheltered child.)

She held me in her arms, (because I had no boots or shoes and there was snow on the ground) until the All Clear sounded. When we got back in the building, she was still shaken (she hated those fire drills) but calmer, she took me aside, and made me promise I would get into my "wraps" more quickly next time, and if I promised to do this she wouldn't call my mother. I promised. That year we had many more fire drills and I tried to be fast, and get out the door asap.

It was many months later, for some reason, I told my mother about the event. She started to tear up, and said, "She as referring to the Our Lady of Angels Fire which happened a little bit before you were born. I am sure she knew people in that Parish." I asked her what happened, and she told me of the fire, how awful it was, how it was on the news and in the papers, and her own personal connection.

A story of working in a typing pool, in an office, only a few blocks from OLA. They heard the sirens, which seemed to go on forever and one of the other women in the typing pool was a member of the OLA Parish. I don't know why, but she ran to the school. She came back to the office, ashen and shaking, and begged anyone for blankets (there were none) or their coats, sweaters, anything, as the School was on fire, children were falling out of windows, being placed or just lying on the cold ground, and going into shock.

My mother gave her only coat, a thin cloth coat. The woman came back, and people helped her bring nearly every coat, jacket, men's suit jackets in the small office to wrap the children in. The coat my mother had was not returned, and she always hoped it had kept a child warm, until it was his or her turn in an ambulance.

I, still a child, with child like curiosity, asked her "What if the child who had your coat died in it?" And in Classic Catholic Style she told me to Be Quiet and not think of such things. She was "sure" the child who was wrapped in her coat was fine. I hope her coat, and those of the others brought at least a small amount of comfort to the children and Nuns that freezing winter day.

God Bless All of Them.

I have one question. When I was in about 3rd grade (and no longer at St Giles, but Emerson School in Berwyn) we were shown a horrifying film about "Fire Safety" which I know was based on OLA. It followed a little boy, who made it out of the burning school building, but went back in, for some reason. In the last scene, while the narrator goes on about dying from smoke inhalation, a fireman is carrying his limp little body out. Nearly identical to the "Little Johnny Zajkowski" pictures, which define the OLA fire to this day.

The film was black and white and filmed in the early 1960s, I think. If anyone knows what the name of this film is, or if it is still available or even remembers it, I would like to know about it. The film made an impression on me, as a child, and I knew it was based on OLA. After seeing this film, I as so scared of fire, I would plan an escape route out of every room I was in while in school for years. To this day, I still note the EXIT signs when I am in buildings.

This fire left an imprint on an entire generation.


Posted by: Claire M Flanders On: 7/13/2008 ID: 373
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before 1015 N. California Ave Chicago IL
I was a sixth grader at St. Mark's School on Campbell and Cortez Avenues. Each hour during a normal school day a bell would ring and we would say, "All for Thee, Jesus, Mary and Joseph". It was customary when we heard a siren, Sister Marie Victoria(a Sister of Providence) would pause and we would all say "All for Thee, Jesus, Mary and Joseph". She said that a siren meant that someone needed our prayers. That day we heard a siren and the class was paused for our short prayer. The sirens increased and seemed to go on and didn't stop. We were instructed to kneel and we said several Our Fathers and Hail Marys. None of us knew at that time what our prayers were for. My father was a laundry driver for the old City Laundry in Chicago. He knew that there was a school fire, but of course the magnitude wasn't discovered til later. It was devastating for us to find out that school children just like us had perished. But we took comfort in knowing that each of us had prayed for those children at their very time of need without even knowing it.


Posted by: Kristin Vass On: 7/13/2008 ID: 372
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 heard about the OLA fire on a History Channel special and I read the To Sleep With the Angels book shortly thereafter. In an age of safety precautions such as ours, hearing about a tragedy like this is totally mind-boggling. If only they had the precautions then that we have now so much of the tragedy could have been avoided. My heart goes out to the victims and survivors of this horrible disaster. What those poor people experienced is something no one should ever have to go through. Hopefully a tragedy like this will never happen again.


Posted by: Randy Berger On: 7/6/2008 ID: 371
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Lyons, Illinois
I was 4 years old at the time of the tragedy and that date is the earliest conscious memory that I can recall. I remember being afraid and vulnerable in ways I did not understand. I attended a Lutheran primary and high school but always felt a sense of kindred spirit with the students of the Catholic school in town. A spirit that transcended our belief in Jesus. It never left me. Many years later I was talking to my girlfriend's Mother...they lived in the suburbs by then, and I asked her what parish they had attended back in the fifties when they lived in Chicago. When she responded "Our Lady of Angels" I again felt a sense of fear and vulnerability such as I had felt as a young child. For all of the families affected by the tragedy I can only tell you that I believe there is a special place in Heaven for all of the Young Angels.

God's Blessings and Love to All.

Randy Berger


Posted by: BlueBelle On: 7/1/2008 ID: 370
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No After n/a
To everyone who remembers that horrible day,

I'm 20 years old, and I do not live in the US, never have, but OLA was used during one of our fire lectures at university, and it shocked me so much, I had to write on here.

I am so sorry, to everybody who has suffered a loss or trauma due to this tragedy, and to all those injured.

I don't even know what to say, nothing I can do, or say, will ever make this go away. I just hope that everyone is...alright. I suppose, even though I know that this will ever happen. I am so, truly sorry that this incident occurred and everyone had to suffer in this way.

Please accept my sincere condolences, and best wishes.

This is a bit of a weird entry, but I just wanted to pay my respects to all those who were died, injured or traumatised by this, and for everyone who remembers that day, and to those who fought so hard to save the lives of the children, nuns, and others injured trying to rescue people from the school. You are all stars. Heroes.

I hope that the survivors, and those who were in the area or affected by the fire are doing the best they can with their lives, no matter how difficult it may seem. You are so brave and courageous, and I hope that you remember that, no matter how difficult it seems.

Blue.x


Posted by: Jim Imbur On: 6/28/2008 ID: 369
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Riverside Ill
I was 10 years old and going to St. Mary's in Riverside. I remember how quiet everyone was in the classroom when a nun, ashen-faced, told us what happened. Being the same ages as many of the victims, we could not help but be very shaken.

My parents and Grandparents are interred at Queen of Heaven Mausoleum and there is a wall in there where some of the victims are interred. The first time I saw the names and dates, I immediately knew who they were and a chill ran down my spine. It still does every time I go there.


Posted by: Elaine Kalcsics On: 6/16/2008 ID: 368
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Chicago
The tragedy is as clear to me today as it was the day it happened. I was totally shocked at the news on the radio and TV. I tried calling a girlfriend of mine who had nieces in OLA but all telephone lines were busy and you couldn't get a call through. I finally contacted her but I can't remember how long it took me. I had two small children at the time and it just broke my heart hearing all of the news. I did so much crying all during that episode.
My next door neighbor asked if I would go with her to a wake for her cousin's child who was killed in the fire and I will never forget that sad scene. There were 8 white caskets in a chapel at this funeral home.
My girlfriend's nieces escaped with the help of one of the nuns. They were among the students that the one nun rolled down the stairs to safety.
One lost her coat and the other lost her shoes in the process but they survived. They had to have years of help with working with a psychologist because the older one was in seventh grad and had lost many friends who went to school with her since kindergarten.
My heart still aches whenever I hear or talk about the OLA fire. I went to the Archdiocese schools for 12 years and went to high school with girls who graduated from OLA and some still lived in the parish at the time of the fire.
That will always be the saddest day in Chicago's history and in the Archdiocese school system. I can't even imagine how those parents went through that ordeal.
I have a girlfriend who lives out of state now but her home was built by a contractor who lost his son in the OLA fire. He left Chicago after losing his son in the fire and was building homes down south.