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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: Kathy Murphy(Golden) On: 5/27/2004 ID: 180
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Austin district St Lucy's school area
I lived in the Austin district and was going to St Lucy school at the time. There was a barber that was across from the town hall that was at Central and Lake st, He lost his twin girls in the fire. I remember also my parents saying that some of the girls were identified by the underwear that they were wearing had the days of the week on them, I am not sure if they were talking about his girls and I am pretty sure they were but not positive anymore since my mother just passed away to ask her. I was in first grade at St Lucy at the time but the nightmare of it all comes back to me.I remember how tragic to this day I will never forget.I would love to hear from anyone that was living around there at the time and had gone to St Lucy. my email address is kgolden@hotmail.com


Posted by: Sandy Mendyk On: 5/11/2004 ID: 179
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Ansonia, Conn.
I was a high school student in Ansonia at the time of the OLA fire. When I got home and heard about the fire on the news, I was devastated and scared. My brother and sister were both attending a Catholic school walking distance from our house, and for the next few weeks I personally picked them up from school after dismissal at my high school. I was just frightened that something like this can happen to their school. Today I'm a Catholic school teacher in an old school building built around 1936 and in back of mind I keep thinking of the OLA fire and what if it happens at our school. I always keep thinking of what I would do for the children if it did happen. I tell my students every year about the fire and how brave those nuns were and how terrible those children suffered. We also say prayers occasionally for those who died and for those who still suffer today. Although I never lived in Chicago and was there, I have a horrible fear of fire since that fire. My prayers, and my students' prayers are still with all who were involved in that awful disaster. God bless you all!


Posted by: DOLORES LABUDA On: 5/3/2004 ID: 178
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before 4064 FRANCISCO
(Entry removed - please confine messages and discussions to the Message Board)


Posted by: Tony Guzzi On: 5/3/2004 ID: 177
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before 1108 N. Central Park, about 6 blocks from the school
(Entry removed - please confine messages and discussions to the Message Board)


Posted by: Judy Bush On: 5/1/2004 ID: 176
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Brighton Park, Chicago
I was 5 years old when the fire occurred. I attended Peace Lutheran Elementary School in Brighton Park. It was in an old building with beautiful high ceilings and polished wooden floor, much like OLA. We also had no sprinklers. I remember our classrooms ceilings suddenly sprouted sprinkler heads. I remember some of the adults grumbling about the cost of having to install sprinklers. Then some other adult would just say "Our Lady of the Angels" and that would end the conversation. I remember having lots and lots of fire drills. Whenever anyone dawdled or would act up in line, our teacher would remind us of the children who died in the OLA fire. I think the OLA tragedy saved the lives of thousands of children who attended schools that really were unsafe. I know the fire changed and shaped an entire generation of Chicago's children. I never met anyone from my generation who grew up in Chicago who did not know about that fire.


Posted by: DOLORES LABUDA On: 4/29/2004 ID: 175
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before 4064 S. FRANCISCO
(Entry removed - please confine messages and discussions to the Message Board)


Posted by: Tony Guzzi On: 4/29/2004 ID: 174
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before 1108 N. Central Park, about 6 blocks from the school
I was only three years old on December 1, 1958, but I believe that day is one of the first recolections of my life. I remember looking out our back door from our first floor flat on Central Park and seeing the thick black smoke. I can then remember my mother on the phone to my grandmother saying 'ma the school is on fire.' I also remember feeling very scared hearing the almost constant whining of fire engines. The girl next door came home from OLA without her coat and I remember my mother and I going out on the back porch and talking to her. Those are about the only recolections that I have of that day, but I can remember them like they were yesterday. My fathers cousin died in the fire and a neighbor , a 13 year old girl who my mother tells me used to come over and play with me was also one of the 92 children that died. I eventually went to OLA in the fall of 1961 and graduated in 1969. I now have two children of my own and I have told them about the OLA fire. They sometimes ask me questions about it. Although I was only three years old at the time, those few recolections have never left my mind. I think about the fire every December 1st. It is a day that I will never forget.


Posted by: Vince T. On: 4/27/2004 ID: 173
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Chicago, Taylor & Racine
I was only 4 years old when this happened. I went to Holy Trinity High School on the north side of Chicago where I had a classmate whose older brother was sick that day and ended up staying home. I currently have a co-worker who attended first grade at OLA but I'm unsure if he was in the north wing of the building. He told me that the fire alarm went off in the middle of a spelling test and the nun walked the class out like a regular fire drill. Later as he was waiting in line outside, his grandma came up to him and said you need to come home with me. He told his grandma that he couldn't go home with her as he was to stand in his spot waiting for the nun's further instructions and he refused to leave with her.


Posted by: Anzu Mazaki On: 4/25/2004 ID: 172
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No After n/a
I am reasearching the oal fire for a school project. I am in the 7th grade. I have seen many sites and have looked at pictures of the devastation this fire had caused. Many peole died in this fire, and because of tecnology we can prevent many more lives now than we could have back then.


Posted by: Marty Oppenheim On: 4/12/2004 ID: 171
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Jamaica, New York
I was 9 years old and living in Jamaica, NY at the time of the fire but I vividly remember the news of the disaster as if it happened yesterday. Being Jewish, I attended public school but grew up across the street from a large Catholic church and school where so many of my friends went. Both my public school and the Catholic school were older buildings and were built in the early 1900s. My old school had the same kind of classrooms the OLA had. I remember frequent and thorough fire inspections and fire drills in my school following this tragedy. I also had nightmares from the Life Magazine article about OLA. I own and have read both "To Sleep With Angels" and "The Fire That Would Not Die". I can only imagine, what it must have been like to experience the fire firsthand. May everyone connected with OLA continue to heal and keep up this wonderful forum and website. God Bless all of you and your wonderful city!!!