Personal experiences with Our Lady of the Angels School Fire on 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:

Joyce Zakrzewski

On:

12/6/2011

ID:

576

At OLA on 12/1/58?	Born before or after 12/1/58?	Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No	Before	6111 W Fletcher, Chicago, IL

My best friend, Roseanna Ciochon, age 9 died in that horrible fire.

Roseanna and I grew up together on Chestnut Street in Chicago, attended St. Boniface school where we made our First Holy Communion together in the 2nd grade in 1956.

After that our families were forced out of there homes to make way for the Kennedy Expressway. My family moved to Belmont and Austin area, Roseanna's family moved to Harding Street.

I'll never forget that night. When my mom got the phone call I could tell by the expression on her face the news wasn't good. Roseanna died in her 4th grade classroom at her desk.

I still watch the home video of our Communion day, Roseanna's bright red curly hair and the two of us running down the street laughing.

Her life was taken way to soon and she'll always be in my thoughts. I have comfort knowing she's in God's arms.

Posted by:

Diana Murphy

On:

12/4/2011

ID:

575

At OLA on 12/1/58?	Born before or after 12/1/58?	Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No	Before	Chicago

My brother and I attended another parochial school. Our parish school was somewhat similar in design to Our Lady of the Angels School. This was beyond tragic. My mother wondered why the fire department couldn't have some type of telescoping ladder. Several years later, the "snorkel" was designed. I did not personally know any of the students. Our family was spared the loss of loved ones... because our cousins ( who would have been students at OLA) had moved to the suburbs a few years prior to the fire.

Posted by:

Mary

On:

12/1/2011

ID:

574

At OLA on 12/1/58?	Born before or after 12/1/58?	Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No	Before	Long Island, NY

I was in kindergarten on 12/1/58. Although I have no specific memories of that time, I am certain that I watched all of the TV news coverage of the fire, and since I was just beginning to read, I am sure I saw the newspaper articles. I have always wondered if my intense fear of fire might have had something to do with the OLA tragedy.

I first learned about the fire from the Andrew Greeley novel "Angels of September". I then checked Michelle Mc Bride's book out of the public library in my town and read it cover to cover in record time. I saw the History Channel documentary "Hellfire" a number of years later, and read "To Sleep With The Angels".

The Catholic elementary school I attended from grades 2 through 8 was dedicated on 10/2/60--the same day as the new Our Lady of Angels. I am certain that the OLA fire had a direct effect on the construction materials used in my school. I was also baptized in Our Lady of the Angels in the Bronx, NY.

I teach in a public school in Brooklyn, NY that is 110 years old. It is constructed of brick and plaster. Our windows all have gates on them (not the best neighborhood), and during my first year there, I had the custodian show me how to open the window gates from inside.

I continue to pray daily for everyone involved with this tragedy, but particularly today. May God continue to hold all of you in the palm of His hands.

Posted by:

jennifer harris

On:

12/1/2011

ID:

573

At OLA on 12/1/58?	Born before or after 12/1/58?	Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No	After	n/a

there is no movie of lady of the angels fire,there is a movie called Finding john christmas, it has a refrence to ola,but the fire they had is called Holy Family school.i wonder if it's on dvd? and planet 51 and I forget the other one has john J? the kid who wanted to be a priest,i think his image.

Posted by:

jennifer harris

On:

12/1/2011

ID:

572

At OLA on 12/1/58?	Born before or after 12/1/58?	Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No	After	n/a

I was born on dec 3rd 1973.,my brother,christopher was born december 1st,1978,the day of the fire's anniversary.I don't know if he knows his birthday is on a tragic event. at tops-take pounds off sensibly i should have told about the 53rd anniversary of the ola fire,the moment of silence for the 3 nuns and 92 children who died,because of the kid who started a fire,and didn't tell anybody,tops is mostly old people 60s-80s. they know what they were doing when this happened. lord,why did this happen.those children didn't need to die early,before christmas,it's bad enough a kid drowned on thanksgiving day.We should pray the survivors and the dead children.

Posted by:

mary margaret

On:

11/30/2011

ID:

571

At OLA on 12/1/58?	Born before or after 12/1/58?	Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No	Before	Columbus, Ohio

For reasons I don't understand myself, I think about the OLA Fire and its victims every day. I am aware that tomorrow will be the 53d anniversary of that horrible day. I would just like to tell anyone who was impacted by this terrible tragedy that I will be praying for you and your family members. God bless you all.

Posted by:

Debbie

On:

11/27/2011

ID:

570

At OLA on 12/1/58?	Born before or after 12/1/58?	Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No	Before	Newland Ave.

I was merely 3 mos. old when this tragedy occured, but I remember my Father tearing up upon speaking of it as I grew up. He worked near the school and knew many people at work who had children or nieces and nephews or neighbors who attended. He remembered the day distinctly and remembered the horrors of the families affected. His memory of that day never faded. I often think of this horrible fire and send my prayers to those little Angels and to their families. This very well done website is a true memorial to all involved. God Bless the little Angels.

Posted by:

Lynn

On:

10/24/2011

ID:

569

At OLA on 12/1/58?	Born before or after 12/1/58?	Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No	After	n/a

It is very sad to think of all those lives lost. My godfather was a student at OLA and he stayed home sick that day, he was in 2nd grade. I can't begin to imagine what it would have been to have gone through that. Prayers for all that lost their lives and also for the survivors that they were able to heal and have made peace with it.

Posted by:

karen

On:

10/24/2011

ID:

568

At OLA on 12/1/58?	Born before or after 12/1/58?	Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No	Before	St. Augustine grade school Chicago south side

I remember watching the news of the tragedy on our little Philco TV. There was a feeling of sadness then and that I still feel when I think about the disaster. The order of nuns that taught at my school, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, also ran St. Anne's Hospital, where a lot of the injured kids were taken. The next day in school, Sister just asked us to remember all involved in our prayers. The fire was hardly mentioned after that. I was in 2nd grade.
Next year, our school got a major safety upgrade. We got new sprinlklers and the fire alarm was connected to the main fire alert downtown.
I really don't think the loss of life would've been that great if that would happen today. From what I have read, people had trouble locating phones. Paramedics that staff todays ambulances are more advanced than in 1958. This fire was the impetus for County Hospital to set up its famed burn unit.
No grief councelors were sent to any of the schools in the archdiocese. That is also something that would be available today. Yes, Father and Sister did their best, but in 1958, that grief counseling was unheard of.
Like St. Paul says in Scripture, All things work out for good for those who love God.

Posted by:

Lana Esposito

On:

10/21/2011

ID:

567

Enrolled on 12/1/58?	Present on 12/1/58?	Injured?	Age	Grade	Classroom	Teacher
Yes	Yes	No	8	3		Dont remember

Ii think about this fire often, I don't know why but it has haunted me forever. My brother and cousin were on the second floor in the fire, both were saved. My father was at the school and helped in the rescue of the children. My brother loaned his ring to a student for the day and the boy was wearing it when he died. I often think about that story. I also remember being rushed to the church to safety waiting for our parents to come and get us. I can still smell the smoke. Maybe one day the memory will fade.

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