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Dear Friend,
Thank you for reading what follows. I have chosen you to write to because of your being the webmaster for the Room 208 students. I feel a bit uneasy in writing because I was in no way involved in the December 1, 1958 fire. At the time, I do recall the national media coverage of the event. I was a student in St. Paul Minnesota then.
A close friend, Serge Uccetta, is a member of the Room 208 students.
In looking over the information available on this site, I noticed one of the surviver's request for memorial masses or a remembrance on December 1st.
You may already be aware of some of the information which follows.
In the years after the fire, it was my good fortune to live in the neighborhood and parish of Our Lady of the Angels and was befriended by several of the survivers: Serge Uccetta, Kevin Griffin, and Gary Wassinger. This is due to our involvement and membership in a neighborhood youth organization. In the years following the fire until 1968 this organization flurished, and each year on December 1st, we would gather at the memorial at Queen of Heaven to remember those taken in the fire, three of which were members of our group: Frances Guzaldo, Roger Ramlo, and Valerie Thoma. We cherish the memory of these and all who were taken in the fire.
This group has maintained a closeness through the years, and on December 1, 2001, we again gathered at the memorial to remember our friends of long ago. We were present again in 2002 and will gather also in 2003. Father Joe has led us in prayer at these times.
Perhaps this may be of comfort to the members of this site. I know that there would be an interest regarding a memorial mass at that time, and hope that we might join with you in honoring and praying for our childhood friends who were taken too soon.
Thank you for the work you are doing with this special site.
Richard
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