Palatine honors volunteers killed fighting 1973 Ben Franklin fire

Nearly a half-century has passed since three firefighters perished in a fire at the Ben Franklin store in downtown Palatine.

But time has not dimmed the memory of a village that honors the sacrifice of those fallen firefighters every year.

Firefighters, family members and community leaders gathered Sunday at the Palatine Firefighters Memorial downtown to pay tribute to volunteer firefighters Warren "Auggie" Ahlgrim, 32, John Wilson, 40, and Richard Freeman, 25.

The three died Feb. 23, 1973, while fighting the blaze in the basement of the store at 36 N. Broadway St. The fire was a catalyst in the village moving from a volunteer fire company to a full-time force.

Sunday's ceremony was commemorated with bagpipe music, the reading of a prayer by Palatine Fire Chaplain Tim Fairman, the laying of a wreath at the memorial and the ringing of nine bells, three for each firefighter, symbolizing the beginning of a day's shift.

Several gathered at the memorial had a strong personal connection to the fire.

Dan Ahlgrim was only about 8 when he lost his dad, but he still retains vivid memories of time they spent together.

"I remember rides in the pickup truck and him letting me shift his gears. Coming down to the Slade Street fire station. Climbing through the fire trucks. I remember the fire calls going all the time, because it would be one continuous ring at home," he said. "That would mean that there was a fire call."

Ahlgrim stood with his mom, Warren's widow, Rose Ahlgrim.

"To have the village of Palatine do this every year is nothing but awesome," he said.

With the Ahlgrims was Cliff Steif, one of the firefighters responding that day. He calls it "the worst day of my life."

"(Warren Ahlgrim) was going in first, and I was coming up behind him," Steif said.

He recalled trying to get in through the store's roof to expel some of the smoke and the heat and allow firefighters to battle the blaze in the basement. But the roof started to cave in, and Steif had to remain outside.

He didn't realize Ahlgrim already was in the basement.

"I was in the front of the building and they were fighting it from the back. I just assumed that they were all out. Things fell apart after that," he said.

Also attending the ceremony was Holly O'Connell, who witnessed the fire after while driving to her job as a teacher at Willow Bend Elementary School in Rolling Meadows. It was a tragedy that hit home.

"One of the firemen (Freeman) was in my brother's class at school. And his dad was outside. (Howard Freeman) was a fireman, too. He was out here in the street when it happened," she said.

"They gave their lives for us," O'Connell added. "I think that's very important to acknowledge them and stand in honor of them."