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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: mike l On: 5/25/2009 ID: 483
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before norristown, pa
I was in first grade at St. Helena's parish, about 20 miles outside of Philadelphia, when the fire struck Our Lady of the Angels. I remember hearing about it on the TV news that night and, on Sunday, I read about it in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Being a Catholic school kid made me more interested in the story. I remember reading in part about how some of the children were still seated in their old wooden desks, like the ones I knew, stuck there when the heat melted the lacquer. I tried to imagine a school so different than mine, which was all one-story. Each classroom, except for the two under the convent, had two doors to the main corridor and an exit door out to the school property. It would have been very safe compared to OLA. About the only thing we had in common was the large numbers of students in each classroom. My kids think I'm fooling when I tell them that we had about 60 or more kids in each class, two rooms for each grade. Back in the early 80's, I worked for a newspaper in town and one of the writers was a new college grad from Chicago. One day, out of curiosity, I asked her if she knew about the OLA fire, which probably occured around the time she was born. She knew nothing about it,surprisingly. I guess I thought everyone from Chi knew about it, right there with Mrs. O'Leary's cow. I went into our archives and came up with some stories about the fire. It was the first I had read anything about it since that time. Over two decades from the tragedy and as an adult, I still wondered why it happened and how the children felt, how the nuns tried to keep them calm. 50 years later, I still do.


Posted by: Chicago Policeman's Daughter On: 5/8/2009 ID: 482
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Chicago, SW side
I was not born until 1958, but that is also the year my father became a Chicago policeman. I had known about the fire since I was young, but it is something my father never talked about in any detail whatsoever other than that he was there. He died some time ago, and I wish he were here today after reading all this to ask him.

Reading everyone's stories and recollections almost feels like I am eavesdropping on something that is so personal I shouldn't hear it. Along with the sheer horror of the fire and what very young children saw and heard, they were told not to discuss it. Of course, I realize things were very different back then and there was no such thing as grief counselors, etc., but it just seems to me to be common sense that anyone, especially kids, would want and NEED to talk about it. And to tell you that "God only takes the good ones" both disgusts me, but is also not surprising of the church.

It took 50 years, but finally those who are willing can finally tell their stories.


Posted by: Anonymous On: 4/24/2009 ID: 481
Enrolled on 12/1/58? Present on 12/1/58? Injured? Age Grade Classroom Teacher
Yes Yes No 8 3
We were told that "God took the good ones." Imagine how we, as survivors, felt. Over the years I have taken that statement and turned it into a positive statement. God took the "good ones" because their work was finished on earth. Later the positive statement became God took the "good ones" because their work on earth was finished and left us, "good ones" to finish our work on earth.


Posted by: Elmer J Prochaska Jr On: 4/22/2009 ID: 480
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Brookfield, Illinois
I was eleven years old then. I was home, Brookfield Illinois, watching the news of the fire on television. I was so scared and felt hurt to see all the children and nuns taken out of the school. I looked outside and could see my grammar school S.E. GROSS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. It was a big three story school. I visualize it being on fire and what would happen to all the kids and myself. The school was kindergarten through eigth grade.

Years later I lived in Westchester Illinois. Lived across the street from Queen of Heaven cemetary (Hillside Illinois) where many of the children are buried. Just walking distance to see the marker and graves of so many of the children buried together. It brings sadness and hurt to me to see them. So many of them were my age at the time----may GOD look after them.

Today I live in Mesa Arizona, but will never forget this school fire.


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.