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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: art gastreich On: 12/4/2010 ID: 537
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before st louis mo
I went to a Catholic School almost like OLA name) SS Peter& Paul school
St.Louis Mo.Brick outside,wooden staircase (OPEN) 3 story high.
Because of that fire my school was closed 1960.
I was about 10 when the fire happened,and I remember my Dad coming
home the next morning.He started to tell the story about the fire,and had to stop because he was crying.SEE MY DAD WAS A ST.LOUIS FIREMEN
of 43 yrs.GOD BLESS Those kids and nuns.


Posted by: Evelyn Hampton On: 12/2/2010 ID: 536
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Chicago, West Side (Lawndale)
I was 11 years old when Our Lady of the Angels school burned. We lived a few miles away, near Ogden Avenue and Homan Streets. I remember how my family clustered around the TV and watched this horrible tragedy unfold. I think the news anchor had tears in his eyes as he read the details. I was a student at Howland Elementary School at 16th and Spaulding Avenues. The day after the fire, most of my classmates brought newspapers to school, and we read them in the school yard before class. The pictures of burned children were terrible.

Schools did not have crisis counselors back then, and we were forbidden to talk about the fire in class. Instead, our school officials came into the classrooms and "inspected" students desks. They yelled at students who had lots of paper in their desks and said the messy desks were firetraps that could kill everybody in the classroom. We had many fire drills. In fact, my class spent one entire afternoon marching up and down stairs. Since this was before schools had public address systems, our fire alarm was a series of coded "bells". Each classroom had a placard with the fire bell codes posted on the wall. For example, 3 bells followed by one bell, followed by 3 bells meant the 16th Street exit was blocked, 3-2-2 meant the auditorium exit was blocked, 3-2-3 meant the Spaulding avenue exit was blocked, etc. My heart goes out to all victims and survivors of Our Lady of the Angels, their families, the first responders, and medical professionals who took care of the victims. I pray a tragedy like this never happens again.


Posted by: Ginger On: 12/1/2010 ID: 535
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Chicago suburb
I was 12 years old and remember watching the news reports that night. It was horrifying and obviously to this day, I still remember December 1st and think about and pray for all involved in that awful experience. I also have family buried at Queen of Heaven and have visited the Angels area and prayed for them. I'm now 64 years old and I can remember that awful day as clear as anything.


Posted by: Jayne1955 On: 11/29/2010 ID: 534
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Chicago near St. Matthias
I was born in 1955, lived by Damen and Lawrence and my parents fought about sending me to a Catholic grammar school because of this fire. It scared my mother out of her wits.

I'm writing a book on fires that led to changes in fire codes. I'm including the Iroquois Theater, OLA, the Hartford Circus fire, the Coconut Grove Nightclub and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. If anyone wants to send me information about the neighborhood, how the fire changed it, or how they think the construction of the building aided the speed of the fire, and what changes were required after the fire, I can always use a new perspective. Anything about reunions or anniversary memorials would especially be of use. I've already read numerous newpaper reports, The Fire That Will Not Die and To Sleep With the Angels.

I'm especially interested in the way famous fires change the area and the lives of the people around it.
You can write to me at setem1955@lycos.com

Don't let the Egyptian god's name in the e-mail confuse you. I used to volunteer at the Field Museum in the Egyptian hall. I'm Catholic and graduated from Mundelein College in 1977.


Posted by: Mary Margaret On: 11/27/2010 ID: 533
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Columbus, Ohio
In 1961, when I was in second grade my family moved to the Chicago suburbs from Ohio. Later that year, my school had an assembly for Fire Prevention Week. During the assembly, we watched a film that showed the OLA fire. The only image I recall is that of firemen coming down ladders carrying dead children over their shoulders. I sobbed loudly during the film and became aware that I was the only student in the auditorium who was crying even though all students from kindergarden-grade 6 were present. When school was over that afternoon, a boy from my school ran ahead of me to my house and alerted my mother that I had been crying at the school assembly. When I got home from school, my mother was waiting at the door to comfort me. I think of my mother and then think of all the mothers whose children never arrived home that day in December of 1958. I think of the OLA fire often and pray for all the victims and their families. God bless them all.


Posted by: MonaAnn On: 11/19/2010 ID: 532
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Racine, Wisconsin
I was in second grade at Holy Name School in Racine when this happened. I remember the nuns telling us about what happened and having us pray for the victims and their families. Sr. Matthew was my teacher and stressed how important it was for us to move quickly and quietly whenever there was a fire drill. This is a childhood memory I will never forget and to this day when the fire alarm goes off at my grandchildren's school, I get tears in my eyes and say a prayer for the 92 children and 3 nuns that God took home to be part of His special guardian angels. May they watch over us all.


Posted by: LookingBack On: 10/29/2010 ID: 531
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Springfield,MA
At the time I was a student at a Catholic grammar school with two buildings, one old like the OLA school, one newer, but with high ceilings and a long drop from the 2nd floor. I remember thinking about a fire starting in the basement and coming up the stairs. I wasn't forming any cogent fire escape plan or anything; I was 12, and there were just those images.

I had never read much detail until recently, and had been personally holding to a version wherein all the victims were killed quickly at their desks from smoke. I guess that's what I wanted to believe.

The OLA fire is a worse injustice to its victims than those hideous night club fires that seem to come along once every few years. The OLA kids had no choice about putting themselves into that firetrap.


Posted by: Sharon On: 10/29/2010 ID: 530
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before CHICAGO
I was 6 years old at the time of the fire. My memory of this fire was when my parents and I went unknownly went to visit my Godparents who lived on the next street when the fire happened. My Godfather went quickly to the school to help rescue the children but could not get near the fire. The neighborhood was still filled with remnants of smoke and the day was gloomy, dark and rainy. All the homes surrounding the area had black flags hanging from their windows indicating they had lost their child in the fire. It was a very very very sad thing to see. I wish, even though I was 6 at the time, I could have eased their pain but knew I could not. This is so sad and I will never forget them or this tragedy. I am a mother now and my daughter is 12. I meet with her schools to make sure there are sufficient fire escapes and fire prevention for the school. I discuss their disaster plans and all the parents who read this should do the same. This world is changing and we have to stay on top of things for our children's safety. PLEASE BE PROACTIVE.


Posted by: Kathleen felder De La Rosa On: 10/10/2010 ID: 529
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Madison and Laramie, chicago, Illinois
I was 7 at the time of the OLA Fire and in the second grade at St. Thomas of Aquinas School a neighboring parish. I remember seeing news coverage on tv. My mother tells me it was live coverage of the fire. I don't know how factual this is. I was very frightened. My Mother tried to comfort me by saying the reason that those children died in the fire was that Baby Jesus and Mother Mary wanted children (catholic children) in heavan for Christmas. I immediately thought...I am Catholic! I hope they don't want me! I continued to be afraid of going to school in a two story building. My fears were alleviated when we moved to the suburbs...the vast exodus from Chicago's West Side. I was delighted to learn that the local Catholic School was too overcrowded to admit me for that fall. I would have to go to "Public School". There I could disguise myself amidst the "Publics". Surely if Baby Jesus and Mother Mary were looking for children in Heaven for Christmas 1959 they would not look in "Public School" We as a collective society knew little of how tragedy effects children and the emotional imprint it leaves upon them. Ayear later I was sent to the local Catholic Elementary School. I said to myself silently..."Here we go again...I can't hide amidst the "Publics" now. The fears also worsened because to make matters worse my little brother was starting first grade. He was a very beautiful little boy. I just hoped Baby Jesusu and Mother Mary didn't want him.

Looking at the pictures on the OLA site transported me back to the Chicago West Side neighborhood as sure as if I had been in a time machine. The profound feelings of sadness were almost too much to bear.
To all of you who were victims of that day in one way or another, please accept my most sincere expression of compassion, empathy and sympaty from myself as a seven year old little girl and myself today as a grown woman.
May God and Mother Mary and Baby Jesus pray for us all!
Kathleen Felder DeLaRosa
Retired Teacher
Harper College
Early childhood Education
bluetabono@yahoo.com


Posted by: Becky Ruhland On: 9/28/2010 ID: 528
Enrolled on 12/1/58? Present on 12/1/58? Injured? Age Grade Classroom Teacher
Yes Yes No 9 4 Class B Sister Xavier
I was reading some of the personal stories and came across Marilyn Chrzas. I was a good friend of your sister. We walked to school everyday. On that day, Joan wore a pink watch, which she received for her birthday. I don't know why that sticks out in my mind. Anyway, I'm glad we were such good friends. Also, when I was in 10th grade and making my confirmation, I chose Joan as my name. I hope all is well with you Marilyn. With the utmost sorrow for the loss of your sister and my dear friend. Love Becky Ruhland (Morrissey)