Dec. 10, 1952: The children mourned at St. Nicholas died in a tragedy set in motion by a minor late-night automobile accident on Dec. 5, 1952. A car driven by a 17-year-old Ohio University student crashed into the three-story home occupied by the Moulis family, causing a gas leak. Thirty minutes later, the house blew up. A second explosion set the structure on fire. Robert and Rose Moulis were dragged from the ruins, but their children perished. A few days later, after the funeral at St. Nicholas, the children — David, 13; Richard, 12; Louise, 11; James, 9; Gary, 5; and Robert, 4 — were buried at St. Mary Cemetery.
(Pittsburgh Press photo)
