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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: Tony On: 2/14/2013 ID: 613
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Detroit, Michigan
In December of 1958, I was a third grade student at a Catholic elementary school in Detroit. Our school, built in 1954, did not have modern fireproof construction ("Modern" meaning 2013), but it was brick, firebrick and steel construction, interior too. There were also "pull" type fire alarms all over the building, and fire extinguishers all over the place, at adult chest level. It did not have a sprinkler system, and the steel and brick stairwells did not have fireproof doors - perhaps the most critical fire safety concern. But it was fully up to code when built in the Detroit of 1954. After thoroughly reading this site, I do now remember the principal coming to every room to talk to us the next day about all those children who died in a Catholic school fire in Chicago, and having us pray for them. I had a lay teacher that year, but had our homeroom teacher been a nun, I am sure we would have been told about it much more, and more often (our lay teacher tried at all cost to avoid upsetting the children). By third grade, I was also an avid daily reader of the Detroit News, and I do also remember reading about the fire there, but "Chicago" was far away to an eight-year-old in Detroit, and with the other major events that happened in our own city that fall, such as the crash of a British jet bomber on the East Side of Detroit in late October, and the death of Francis Cardinal Mooney at the same time (a beloved Detroit icon), the OLA fire was quickly forgotten. I am actually grateful to this site for reminding me of a horrible tragedy that never should have happened in the first place. Eternal rest to those 92 innocent children and the three nuns. The most lasting and haunting memory I will carry away from this superbly well done site? The faces of those 95 kids (I was a career elementary teacher, so I feel the pain more than most would), and the conviction that a cruel, sadistic genius could not have designed a more perfect firetrap than OLA was on December 1, 1958.


Posted by: patricia.kemp@redcross.org On: 1/16/2013 ID: 612
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No After n/a
I work for the American Red Cross and we're writing a timeline of events of the great work done by the volunteers here in the Chicago region. I am told the Red Cross responded to the OLA fire, but I can't seem to find any documentation about it. If any one has any information I would be grateful. Thank you.


Posted by: Leslie On: 12/24/2012 ID: 611
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before California
This morning my husband and I were having coffee while listening to Christmas caroles being played when The Little Drummer Boy came on, and I mentioned to him that song always reminds me of the Catholic school fire as it was played over and over again the Christmas of the fire. He did not recall the fire so I found it on the internet and showed him.

I was 10 years old at the time of the fire and I remember the profound impact the tragedy had on my young mind! It was as though I was there, I personally knew the children who were injured as well as those who perished in the fire, and my heart ached for each of them, and tears flowed as I saw the articles and television news coverage. Being the same age as many of the victims made a strong emotional connection for me. Over the years each time I hear that song my thoughts are drawn back to that unbelieveably sad loss of young lives and the lasting devastation to the families of those sweet children!

During this holiday season may we all remember the children and nuns who lost their lives, and reach out to embrace all our loved ones everyday telling them how much they are loved! May the memories of those who passed offer a continued appreciation for life and the treasured ones we cherish with all our heart!!


Posted by: KMartin On: 12/21/2012 ID: 610
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before On Flournoy Street
The Sandy Hook tragedy so close to Christmas brought back memories of losing a friend. It is amazing how memories coming flooding back! I wanted to know more about how many children died in 1958. I am encouraged that as a society we are called into action at this recent horrific event. I'm glad to see there will be a production of "When Angels Wept" at the New Lincln Theatre. I know my friend is among the angels.


Posted by: Marilyn On: 12/20/2012 ID: 609
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Chicago
The Connecticut tragedy did not immediately invoke memories of the Lady of the Angels scholar fire for me--but there was something in my heart and mind that just wouldn't let me rest until I figured out what was bothering me. Then it came...a newsman mentioned long-ago tragic events in our lives and how they can re-surface. It's been 54 years, I was 11--and I remember how our teacher had us sit on the floor in a close circle and explained to us what happened. I remember the crying...I remember the newspaper articles, as well as my mom talking to me about it. All these tragic events play an important part in our lives--reliving the memories that touches our hearts for the remainder of our lives...and provokes us to act in a manner of reverence and prayerful manner.


Posted by: Cammi On: 12/19/2012 ID: 608
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Chicago
Our Lady of Angels was not far from where I lived. I went to Presentation Catholic School. I was 18 at the time, a passenger on the Pulaski bus heading South bound. A lady started to scream that she wanted off, I watched her run North bound and someone on the bus said the school was on fire. Since last Friday happenings in Newtown I can not stop thinking of OLA's fire and that day. The sadness that hung in the air. The grey clouds that seemed to cover Chicago for months following. In those days no one talked about it, I don't know why.
Every time I go to Queen of Heaven Cemetery I visit the gravesite where so many of the children are buried. What always bothered me is that when I was in 5th grade at Presentation (1951) we too had a fire. The same thing as OLA but no deaths. A boy started the fire in the basement near the stairwell. As the nuns always kept the classroom door close we were unaware of it. It was not until we heard the fire engines sirens that we knew there was a fire nearby. The nun locked the door and told us to sit down and pray. Smoke stated coming under the door, There was chaos in the room, a few girls started to climb on the windowsills. Lucky for us a fireman came just then. The hallway was black with smoke, he informed everyone to lie down and crawl to the front stairway, just keep crawling till we were outside then run. The school had quite a bit of damage and we didn't return until next year. When I seen layouts of OLA classrooms it was very similar to Pres. Why didn't someone learn from our fire and perhaps it could of been prevented. Then again maybe because we all got out, they thought all schools would.


Posted by: mary On: 12/19/2012 ID: 607
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No After n/a
I just found out this weekend that my father, a Chicago Police Officer, was dispatched to the OLA school to help rescue children. My dad is now 84 years old, and this was the first I heard of it. He could not and would not tell his children about the awful events of that day.

Up to Saturday, Dec. 17, 2012, he had never, ever mentioned this to me. The reason he told me about it was our discussion of the tragedy in Connecticut.

He described his anguish helping injured children into his squad car, then driving to at least two hospitals before they (he and his partner) found a willing facility. My dad is the toughest of the tough, and listening to him tell his story was very painful; clearly still distraught at the horrible scene they encountered, he broke down and cried when telling it.

My heart breaks that he was a witness who did his best to help, and still he couldn't save any lives that day. He, more than ever, is my hero.


Posted by: Lorraine Riseley Phernetton On: 12/17/2012 ID: 606
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Villa Park, Chicago suburb
I came to this site because I, like the previous person who left a message, was trying to recall when I felt as much severe emotional pain, as I am currently feeling for the victims and families in Newtown,CT. Those beautiful vunerable little angels. I remember hearing about the OLA fire from my parents. They were horrified as everyone else was, but didn't want to talk much about it. I had just turned 13, so I got a newspaper the next day. Those newspaper pictures were so graphic and painful to look at, I knew I would never forget them. My sister was a few years older than I was. I asked her recently if she remember that fire. She has no recollection of it. I was surprise to read the message before mine. That someone else had the same thought process, or emotional process as I did. I also wonder if she thought about the boy who had said he started the fire on purpose. I wondered if God was going to send him to hell. I also wonder if these emotionally painful stories, help or hurt the healing process.


Posted by: Linda Kay On: 12/17/2012 ID: 605
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before western MN
As I watched the horrible story about the school shootings in Newtown CT on Friday, I began thinking about the most horrible thing I could remember from my grade school days. I started thinking about the Catholic school fire in Chicago during the late 1950's. I couldn't remember when it was, but knew that I was about eight or nine years old, and attended a two-story Catholic school in a small town in western Minnesota. I could remember a newspaper image, and it turned out to be the picture on the first page of your website. I remember being terrified, and my parents assuring me that my school was new, and mostly concrete, so that big a fire was unlikely to happen in my school. I remember our Benedictine Sisters being very kind and nurturing; they encouraged us to pray for the families of "God's newest angels." I am now approaching the end of a four decade career in the public schools, and I think a recollection of that fire helped shape an attitude of careful alertness to any possible danger that could come to the children in my care. I send prayers and thoughts of peace, to relatives in Chicago, and to grieving families in CT.


Posted by: Janet Q On: 12/16/2012 ID: 604
At OLA on 12/1/58? Born before or after 12/1/58? Where Lived on 12/1/58?
No Before Indianapolis, Indiana
Media coverage was not what it is today. I heard about the fire from the newspaper and my school. There were also some stories on the TV News. I remember how upset the nuns were at St Joan of Arc, Indpls., and praying for the lives lost. It was so sad. My school building looked similar to the pictures and how I worried that the same thing could happen to me or my classmates and teachers. I had difficulty sleeping and for a long time I checked the doors and the hallways. Feelings were not a topic discussed. While I was just 9 years old at the time and I knew not a soul that perished, I have never forgotten the tragedy.