Personal experiences with Our Lady of the Angels School Fire on 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:

Michael Kiefer

On:

4/15/2009

ID:

479

At OLA on 12/1/58?	Born before or after 12/1/58?	Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No	Before	Indianapolis, IN

I attended a Catholic grade school in Indianapolis and was in the sixth grade in Decemebr 1958. My sister, a Sister of Providence had taught grade school in Chicago a few years before and my parents and I had visited with her often. My third grade teacher's father was a Chicago firefighter and she taught my classmates and I to pray to St. Florian for the safe return "of the men" every time we heard a fire siren. (A practice I continue to this day). My parents and I felt a strong connection to story of the fire. I was home from school with my mother when the story began to be reported. My father came home from work and the three of us knelt in the living room to pray the rosary. I will never forget my father crying so bitterly that he could not lead. My mother couldn't continue either, so I led the recitation, barely above a whisper. The photos in the newspaper the next day broke my father's heart as did accusations made at the time against the nuns. Even though we did not know any of the victims or their families personally, we felt as though we did. The anniversary brought all this back to mind. God Bless you all.

Posted by:

kathie k.

On:

4/13/2009

ID:

478

At OLA on 12/1/58?	Born before or after 12/1/58?	Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No	Before	St. Joseph, Michigan

I was 11 yrs. old on 12/1/58, attending St. Joseph's Catholic School in St. Joseph, MI. St. Joseph is 90 miles from Chicago. I remember coming into school on 12/2, and our nuns(Dominicans)asking us to pray for all the children killed in a school fire in Chicago. We knelt by our desks, and prayed for the kids. When I got home from school, my Mom had bought a copy of the Tribune on that day, and on the front page I saw a fireman carrying the body of a dead nun down a flight of stairs. I was horrified. Then I remember seeing the other pictures of the fire. It really hit home with me, as I had never considered a fire at a school. My Mom was obviously upset by the whole thing, and we said a prayer for the families before I went to sleep that night. The next day in school, our teacher told us that we needed to take the fire drills very seriously, and pay close attention to directions. We had at least 65 kids to a classroom, and that boggles my mind now. When I saw the Trib pictures of all the children who died, many of the girls wore the same First Communion veils that our school wore. Wow, that scared me so badly. I remember that so clearly. I read the book by Michelle McBride, and "To sleep with the Angels". It remains etched in my mind from long ago, and it gets no easier to accept. God bless all who lived through it, and all who didn't.

Posted by:

Joseph Giamarese

On:

4/8/2009

ID:

477

At OLA on 12/1/58?	Born before or after 12/1/58?	Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No	After	n/a

Firefighter Richard Scheidt passed away this week. My prayers go out to his family and all those who knew him. My parents lived on Avers Ave. and frequently tell stories about "the old neighborhood." I was born at St. Anne's Hospital and my family moved west in 1965. I am a bookseller by trade and ran across a copy of To Sleep With The Angels. I took it home and began to read it. I found myself unable to read too much of it at once because it was so overwhelming. I have a son and a daughter enrolled in Our Lady Immaculate Academy. Their uniforms still consist of neckties and jumpers and was immediately struck by the similarities of the OLA class pictures. I felt like I knew those kids. This morning I drove back to my parents "old neighborhood", parked my car, and walked around what use to be the OLA school and Church. I said a prayer at the little memorial,this being Holt Week, and took a few pictures. When I got home is when I heard Mr. Scheidt passed away this week and his funeral was today.
My prayers go out to all the victims and survivors of the Our Lady of the Angels fire. I would very much like to see a Tridentine Mass said in honor of this horrible tragedy. The kind of Mass the victims and survivors would remember from that time. God Bless you all.

Posted by:

Mike

On:

3/26/2009

ID:

476

At OLA on 12/1/58?	Born before or after 12/1/58?	Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No	After	n/a

This is a wonderful web-site, congratulations to the creators as I see this as one of the most meaningful tributes to the victims, survivors and families of the Our Lady of the Angels School Fire. The recounts of survivors in these personals are remarkable, it takes such courage to pen their experiences and relive that horrible day.

I was born in 1959 and by the age of 5, knew that as an adult, I wanted to be a fire fighter. As I worked toward an Associates Degree in Fire Science in the 1970's, I was then first, exposed to the OLA Fire. It was a historical fire beyond belief. I have now been a professional fire fighter for 29 years in Northeastern Wisconsin. I am also a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator. Along these career paths I found some interesting paralells concerning the OLA fire.

One of the courses I had taken in the 90's was called the Reed Technique of Interviewing. This is a course taught by the FBI that focus' on reading verbal and non-verbal information while interviewing a subject. I was sort of shocked to find that it was John Reed who obtained the admission from the boy who started the fire. Later John Reed developed the interview course I was taught, and by the way, the methods really do work.

Several years ago I earned a national fire investigators certification from the National Association of Fire Investigators. This organization was founded by John Kennedy, no direct relationship to the President. Fire Investigator Kennedy was the bold investigator that placed the origin of the fire at the bottom of the stairwell and stood firm that the fire was lit intentionally. Another wierd connection for me.

Finally in the 1980's, my wife's cousin was married in Chicago. While looking at a family photograph wall in the grooms, parents home, I was approached by the groom's father. As he pointed to a black and white photo of a young boy he asked me, "Your a fire fighter right?" Yes. "Do you know who that is?" gesturing to the black and white photo. No. "That's the last kid to die in the Our Lady of The Angels Fire, he was my cousin, Billy Edington." Goose bumps rose, a moment forever etched on my memory slate. By some wild set of circumstances, I am a long, long, shirt tail relative of one of the OLA Victims. When I bought the book "To Sleep With The Angels," I went directly to the list of those who had died, and sure enough, the last victim of the fire was William Edington.

Through my association with the fire service and the above mentioned connections, I feel close to this fire tragedy. My heart goes out to all those who have suffered, what can only be described as an unimaginable pain, as a result of this event.

No one can turn back the hands of time, you can't, as it is said, unring the bell. But I can vow to remember this historic fire tragedy and attempt to be an effective public fire educator, hopefully preventing this type of fire from ever again occuring.

Thanks. "Fireman Mike"

Posted by:

Alex

On:

3/24/2009

ID:

475

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 this site on accident when i was looking for a news report on a fire that happened at my school today. After i read what happened i was so sad and guilty. The fire at my school was small and no one got injured, but every one wished it was more exciting. I am ashamed to say that i was one of those people. Now i know we were so lucky to have not been injured or killed.

Posted by:

Manny

On:

3/11/2009

ID:

474

At OLA on 12/1/58?	Born before or after 12/1/58?	Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No	After	n/a

I recently read To Sleep With the Angels for the second time and came to a shocking realization, one which I don't understand how I missed the first time I read about this tragic event. In the mid to late sixties, I attended my first years of elementary school in a modern, public one-story school building. I have been haunted all these many years since by the memory of a traffic and fire safety pamphlet which was distributed to students, probably when I was in 2nd grade. In my memory I couldn't escape the image of an injured little boy being carried by a police officer--apparently the boy had been struck by a car and either killed or severly injured. I remember being horrified and terrified by this photo at the time, and while more then 40 years have passed, I have never forgotten this pamphlet that they passed out to us. Upon my recent re-reading of the book I suddenly realized my memory was not completely accurate, and the photo which had so affected me was in fact that of firefighter Richard Scheidt carrying John Jajkowski out of the school after the fire. I remember wondering, even as a second grader, why the school officials would give us these handouts with something so real and horrifying pictured. I transferred to a different, much older school for grades 4-6, due to school zone redistricting, and although this change was not due to any choice by either my parents or myself, I really loved my new school and the new friends I made, friends I have to this day. I never felt endangered in any way by this school environment at the time, but upon reflection, there are so many similarities in my building and Our Lady of the Angels. The basement washrooms, stairwells with no fire doors at the landings, students emptying wastepaper and cleaning erasers and especially the shiny, highly varnished woodwork and floors. While I don't know for sure, I would imagine (and hope) that we had sprinkler systems and good fire alarms in place (we certainly had regular fire drills). My father attended a Catholic school until he started high school, a school which still stands today although it is not now used for classes. The building is right on my way home from work and more than once recently, I have pulled over and just stared at those second story windows. I have hesitated to post here, as I feel that my input certainly isn't as important as any by survivors and victims' loved ones, but I finally decided to share my story. I would like also to say that I believe the sisters did what they felt was absolutely the right thing that day, and God Bless everyone involved with this horrible event. Thank you to everyone for sharing their stories.

Posted by:

Paul

On:

3/7/2009

ID:

473

At OLA on 12/1/58?	Born before or after 12/1/58?	Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No	Before	716 N Avers

I recall the day very well and still wonder why God made me one of the chosen few that did not go to school that day. I was 7 years old at the time and loved to play in the snow. My grandfather had bought me a new sled a day before the fire. I took it out for a try that morning before school down by Calders Moving Company where the sidewalk had alot of ice. I ran with the sled and jumped on doing belly flops and having a ball. About the fifth try I went over the sled and busted my lip pretty bad. I went home to show my grandmother she put a cold wash rag on it and she said your still going to school even with the fat lip. No way was I going school looking like that. I looked for a good place to hide from her so I rolled out the paino from against the wall and got behine it and pulled it back so she could not find me. She gave up the search after calling my name over and over. Now I was safe. She had the radio on in the kithhen and I could hear everything. It was some time later that I heard lots of fire trucks screaming off some where. I snuck out my fromt door and could see the smoke in the sky. My grandmother grabed me by my shirt and started to cry and told me to get my coat on. She was a big woman but I'll never forget how fast she walked as we got to the school. We stood right across the street from the fire as people from every where were running crying and screaming for their children.I had no idea what I was about to see. Everytime my grandmother tried to cover my eyes it seemed I couldent look away. The fire and the memory of it destroyed many years of my childhood as I always had a fear of being in a school and it catching fire. When I was sent to Ryerson Grammer School I would just look out the window or look down to see how far it was if I had to jump. Whenever they had fire drills at Ryerson when they got us all outside I could look up and see OLA all over again. I started skipping alot of school and getting in trouble with the friends I skipped with. It seemed I could not study like the other kids. Always having a fear that my time may be next. I am 57 years old now. I survived 3 near death heart attacks, 1 stroke, a car wreck that split it in half,and more. My reason for still being here ????? I pray for all the families who have lost a loved one at OLA. May God bless you and take away all your pain. Me,I will never forget. Paul

Posted by:

scain

On:

3/6/2009

ID:

472

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 attending mortuary school in Chicago at the time of the fire, and was in fact on his way home and saw it burning.
He worked as a mortician for 45 years and he said that the worst thing he's ever in his life had to witness, mortician or not, was this fire.
I have only seen him become upset enough to start to weep twice in my life. One, being when my father died, his only son; and recalling this fire and the work that he had to do with the lost souls of this fire.
It goes so far beyond a tragedy, its indescribable.

Posted by:

Mary D

On:

3/1/2009

ID:

471

At OLA on 12/1/58?	Born before or after 12/1/58?	Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No	After	n/a

While recently speaking to a co-worker who is 11 years older than myself, she told me a story about when she was a young girl in Catholic school in Little Chute, WI. It was December, 1958. The school nuns told the children about the OLA fire and told them to kneel down and pray for the children. My friend vividly remembers kneeling on the floor and praying. She was only 10 years old. This image stuck in her head some 50 years later as she relayed it to me. She said she looked it up on the internet and found this site. She said it was so interesting. Although I was born 4 months after the fire, I, too, went to Catholic school in Appleton, WI, for 8 years. I was intrigued and went to this site. I then went right out and got the book "To Sleep With the Angels" from the library. I could not put it down and read it all in one day. I wanted to offer my sympathy to all of the victims, both living and dead. I can only imagine the pain and suffering that you have all endured over the years. Unfortunately, the 50's was a different time, when no one was encouraged to talk about unpleasant things or tragedies of any kind. Counseling and therapy were unheard of. I believe that even if the children had been in a public school, they would have been encouraged to "move on" and not speak of the tragedy. That's the way it was done back then. No one knew about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Of course, we all know how wrong that is now to not talk about it. I grew up in an alcoholic home, and my mother always told us to "not tell anyone about Daddy." She didn't know any better. We held our emotions inside and carried on as best we could. There was no Al-anon. My mother had no help. She didn't even tell her own mother what was going on. You didn't divorce. That's the way it was. I do not believe the fire was "God's will." This was human error on the part of the state laws & codes at the time for allowing a "grandfather" clause, perhaps some nuns who did not act fast enough during the fire, the wrong address was given, the diocese for using an old building. And it most probably was the act of one very disturbed child. It reminds me of the Titanic tragedy. A whole lot of things that went wrong all at the same time. Arrogance played a part, too, on the part of the lawmakers at the time and the diocese. God does not do these things. We are human, we are fallible, the church is fallible, we are fragile. What I'm trying to get at is that I know that for some, there is much pain and bitterness yet regarding the church and what was done and not done for the survivors. You are all totally entitled to this bitterness. There is no way I can understand the depth of your pain and sorrow. But I'm hoping that you can find a way to forgive those who wronged you back then and find peace. I also want you know that fire safety was of utmost importance to our nuns back when I was in school in the 60's and 70's. They really emphasized it. We had Fire Prevention Week every year and made posters, we practiced fire safety. I have no doubt that it was due to the OLA tragedy. At least they did learn from their mistakes and laws and codes were changed. I feel so bad for those who were told "only the good ones were taken." That is so awful. May God forgive them, for they did not know what they were doing by saying that to you precious children. I wish you all God's peace and the warm love of family and friends. Take care of yourselves. You, too, are all God's Special Angels. Your friends, teachers, and schoolmates that were taken that day want you to be happy and find joy in your life. God wants this, too. And so do I. God bless all of you.

Posted by:

Gina

On:

2/26/2009

ID:

470

At OLA on 12/1/58?	Born before or after 12/1/58?	Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No	Before	San Francisco

I was in the 8th grade at Cathedral Presentation School in San Francisco. I don't remember how I heard of the fire but remember seeing photos of the victims in their school uniforms and identifying with them. Shortly after that, there were inspections by the fire department and safety talks by a fireman who came to our classroom. They were needed because our building was a wooden victorian converted to a school and the neighborhood surrounding it, where I lived, was full of victorians in poor repair and fires were a frequent occurrence. The Our Lady of the Angels fire has haunted me the rest of my life.

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