Those memories and a memorial that used to be at Our Lady Of Angels Parish are cared for now at holy Family Church On West Roosevelt. On Sunday they had a memorial mass dedicated to all those who died -- and those who survived that fire half a century ago today.
They came from around the area and across the country. After the mass the stories told were as fresh as yesterday.
"When the fire alarm went off we opened the door and black smoke just poured into the room," said Peter Biancalana, 7th Grade Survivor of Fire.
"We opened it up. There was completely pitch black. The darkest like picture midnight with no stars," said Joseph Digioie, 6th Grade Survivor of Fire.
"My grandfather who lived right across the street. He grabbed his ladder and he started pulling kids out," said Joseph Romeo, survivor of Fire.
"And I somehow managed to get out of the window and hold onto the gutter pipe. Hand over hand I just crawled," said Annette Szafran, 8th Grade Survivor of Fire.
Mary Ellen Reeves was a fourth-grader. Her sister, Karen, died. She was in eighth grade.
"When my dad came home from work. We couldn't find my sister and he went from hospital to hospital and finally ended up at the morgue," said Reeves.
