I was married on October 18, 1958 at Holy Rosary Irish Church on 113th & South Park. We quickly heard about the fire at Our Lady of the Angels School. The Roseland Area was in a state of shock and pain. We had so many old parishes with old schools and related to the families who lost their children in the fire. Both Roseland Community Hospital and the 111th Street YMCA set up blood donation facilities. Everyone I knew that could donated blood. I still have the donor's receipt. Two of my children attended Holy Rosary School. My wife and I always prayed that no other school would suffer the unforgettable tragedy of December 1, 1958. The anniversary of the fire has brought back that terrible memory. I feel still very badly for those parents who lost children in the fire and for the survivors who cannot ever forget.
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