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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: leslie On: 12/30/2013 ID: 635
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before on long island
When I was a very small child, my mother found me transfixed in front of our tv. The horror of the OLA school fire was being broadcasted with pictures of the burning school, and frequent mentions of the dead and dying children. From about that time, I developed a terror of fire that was very dramatic. My recollections of my fear was that it was real and terryfying. As was typical of the times no would talk to me about the fire, and I was terrified for years. When I got older my Mom finally told me about "some school fire on tv," that frightened me. Now that I am much older, I researched, and here I am. What a devastating thing to happen! No word can describe something so tragic. I' sorry that these children and their nuns had to die or be severely hurt to make the world realize that the schools weren't safe. God keep them all - those that are gone,those who lost their own, those who were so hurt, and those who had to experience that terrible day.


Posted by: laura On: 12/8/2013 ID: 634
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No After n/a
My mom attended Catholic schools in the Belmont/Central area of Chicago in the 1950s-1960s. Many years ago, she was reading Michelle's book & I read it after. I have thought about this tragedy off and on ever since & then a few days ago I saw a "this day in history" post on facebook that mentioned a school fire in Chicago & I assumed it was OLA. With a little investigation, I learned that my assumption was correct & subsequently I found this site. I've been reading the stories and memorials for days & I started reading "To Sleep with the Angels" & put in for a interlibrary loan for the WTTW documentary. For whatever reason, this story resonates with me. In the early - mid 90s I went to a Catholic college in Lake Forest, IL. The building was built in 1912 and I find it interesting that even 40 years later, we still had a brick exterior with wood interior and open stairwells. There was a fire escape on one end of the building that was like a tornado slide, but in 4 years there, I was never present for a fire drill. I am sure that they had them, I just can't imagine that they were frequent if I was never present. Anyway, my heart goes out to all survivors and their families. In addition to the injured, I find James Raymond's story particularly heartbreaking.


Posted by: patricia sullivan On: 12/2/2013 ID: 633
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Deerfield, Il
I was in 5th grade at a catholic school at the time of the fire. It was such a horrific event and I found myself obsessed with the story and crying while reading about it to the point that my parents wouldn't let me near a newspaper for months after or watch any tv reports on it. When the article was posted on facebook it brought it all back like it was yesterday and I burst into tears scaring my grandchildren who rarely see me emotional .It is an event that will never leave me even though I wasn't in that school.


Posted by: jennifer harris On: 12/2/2013 ID: 632
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No After n/a
when I think of the newtown sandy hook elementary school shooting,which happened a year ago this month,20 kids dead.not 92 kids and 3 nuns dead by an arsonist.i feel sory for the ola kids. they were in pain and had no idea.


Posted by: Faith On: 12/1/2013 ID: 631
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No After n/a
I stumbled across a poem, Fires that Changed America, in an attempt to find a poem to read for UIL. In this poem it tells of the horror, the grief, and the lives of two girls that where lost as a result of the fire. It wasn't until tonight that I was bored and waiting for my phone to charge that I decided to do research about the fire and found this website. It is through discovering that these girls mentioned in my poem where real people, and that it is the anniversary of this event that I choose to write this. I have no personal connection to this, but a deep emotional one. This event was tragic, and I feel as though I am mourning for these children as well. It is through us that they live on, sending love to all from a 14 year old girl in Texas.

Long live the angels.


Posted by: Daryl Adams On: 12/1/2013 ID: 630
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Aledo, IL
I was a ten year old, living in a small western Illinois town on the day of the fire. My father hid the newspapers from me, but I found them and read every word. I was horrified by the photos and had terrible nightmares for a long time afterward. Our school was of similar vintage to Our Lady of the Angels and I was always worried a similar fire might take place there. Every year thereafter when I changed classrooms I would looked out the classroom windows to decide which window to jump from if there was a fire. Every December 1st since then I have thought about those kids. I grew up to become an architect, and in every building I have designed I have concentrated on fire safety and efficient emergency exits. It's a very small world, as decades later I moved to Chicago and became business partners with a fellow who was four years old in 1958 and lived just up the street from OLA. He said he watched the flames from his back porch. He was similarly affected. My thoughts are with you all.


Posted by: Matthew J. Kluk On: 11/22/2013 ID: 629
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No After n/a
My father is/was a survivor of the OLA fire. I can't find his name anywhere in this website. From what I remember from his stories, he was on the 2nd floor and jumped from a window on to an awning on to the ground and ran home. His name is Anthony Raymond Kluk. He went on to become a journalist and wrote an award winning article about the fire for the Chicago Tribune years later. I am going to look for that article so I can share it on this site.

I wish I could remember what classroom my Dad was in so I could post his name up there. If anyone knows, feel free to email me @ mkluk@cox.net

Thank you!


Posted by: cosimo j. digiovanni f.f.sq.10 On: 10/25/2013 ID: 628
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before chicago
george cannella shown as a member of sq.10 was a student not a fireman. he die with his class mates 7gr. his father and i our 1st.couisn. when we arrive lt.tom lyons and company went to the second floor bringing children down to waiting police cars for transportation to hospitals. after brin frist little boy down i started to go back to the second floor class room when i heard my name being call, it was my uncle george sr. and his son george calling me. they started to tell me they cant find little george i explain. to them they could be in some one home,then my cousin told me his class room was on the second floof, it was the same room i remove the first child from. the next time i saw my family was at the wake. im 86yr.old now and this is the first time i have talk about this disaster. ola was both family cannella and digiovanni parish. my late wife and i was marriage at ola feb. 7th. 1948.


Posted by: Dennis Mc On: 8/22/2013 ID: 627
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before 72 & Yates, Chicago
Had been discharged from the Army in Sept. Had a wife and two infant boys. Having attended Catholic grade schools on the South Side was very attuned to a strong Catholic Education of the time. We were emotionally crushed and immediately volunteered for the Special Blood Drive for the victims. Had to travel to the Roseland Area on the far South Side as the closest donor location. There were lines of tearful donors.


Posted by: Ellen Chavez On: 8/15/2013 ID: 626
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before South Side of Chicago
I had just started Kindergarten that September when the fire happened. What I remember after that was the fire drills we had in school, twice a month for the rest of the school year, and monthly after that. We were trained to line up, and leave with the teacher as quickly as possible - no coats, hats, or even shoes. I remember going down the fire escape from the third floor gym in the snow.

In every school I went to, the fire drills were done with a religious intensity. We were trained to leave everything and get out.

As a Director of early childhood and school age programs, I make sure that parents are oriented to the fire and disaster drills that we have in our programs. I tell them about the OLA fire, and the profound effect it has in our city and that it prompted the school building codes and fire drills nation-wide. They often object to us moving the children out of the building without wraps - but the children are moved to another agency building close by when the weather is inclement. I remind that most children who die in fires at home were hiding in closets or under beds, and that many had gone back for belongings. Once they understand this, they usually join in the drills when present.