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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBlack Angel HistoryT h e B l a c k A n g e l M o n u m e n t O a k l a n d C e m e t e r y 1 0 0 0 B r o w n S t . I o w a C i t y , I A IowaCitysOaklandCemetery is home to thelegendary Black Angel,which is an eight and a halffoot tall burial monument forthe Feldevert family. Eversince it was erected over 85years ago, the Black Angel h a s b e e n the subject of many stories, m y t h s , a n d l e g - ends surrounding its mysteri o u s c h a n g e i n color from a golden bronze c a s t t o a n e e r i e black.The True Story Teresa Dolezal Feldevert was b o r n i n 1 8 3 6 in Strmilov, Bohemia where s h e b e c a m e a practicing physician. Teresa a n d h e r s o n , Eddie Dolezal, moved to Io w a C i t y w h e r e she worked as a midwife. The i r s t a y i n I o w a City lasted until 1891 when E d d i e d i e d o f meningitis at age 18. He was t h e n b u r i e d i n the east half of Lot #4 in Bl o c k # 9 o f t h e Oakland Cemetery, and Tere s a h a d a t r e e stump monument erected o n h i s g r a v e . Teresa then moved to Eugene, O r e g o n w h e r e she married Nicholas Feldever t , w h o d i e d i n 1911. Following her husbands d e a t h s h e r e - turned to Iowa City and hired M a r i o K o r b e l , a Bohemian artist in Chicago, t o d e s i g n t h e $5,000 monument to tower ov e r t h e r e m a i n s of her son and the ashes of her h u s b a n d . T h e Angel arrived on a flatcar in Io w a C i t y o n N o - vember 21, 1912.Over the years, the An g e l h a s s t i r r e d up many stories, starting with t h e d a t e i t w a s actually erected. In accordanc e w i t h o r a l h i s - tory provided by many longti m e I o w a C i t y S o m e t i m e f o l l o w i n g t h e i n s t a l l a t i o n o f t h e A n g e l , h e r s o n E d d i e s m o n u m e n t w a s m o v e d f r o m i t s o r i g i n a l l o c a t i o n t o i t s p r e s e n t s i t e a l o n g s i d e t h e A n g e l , a n d h i s r e - m a i n s , a l o n g w i t h t h e a s h e s o f h e r l a t e h u s - b a n d , N i c h o l a s F e l d e v e r t , w e r e b u r i e d i n r e - p o s i t o r i e s u n d e r t h e B l a c k A n g e l . T e r e s a d i e d o f c a n c e r o n N o v e m b e r 1 8 , 1 9 2 4 , a n d h e r a s h e s w e r e a l s o b u r i e d u n d e r t h e m a g - n i f i c e n t B l a c k A n g e l M o n u m e n t . I n s p i t e o f t h e s e h i s t o r i c a l f a c t s , t h e l e g e n d s s u r r o u n d i n g t h e p o w e r s a n d m y s - t i q u e o f t h e B l a c k A n g e l c o n t i n u e t o t h r i v e i n t h i s m o d e r n a g e . W h y D i d T h e A n g e l T u r n B l a c k ? T h e m y s t e r i o u s n e s s a n d s u p e r s t i t i o n s h a v e b e e n a p a r t o f t h e B l a c k A n g e l s i n c e i t w a s p l a c e d i n t h e c e m e t e r y . I t i s s t i l l v i s i t e d b y i n t e r e s t e d a n d c u r i o u s p e o p l e f r o m a l l o v e r , m o s t l y d u e t o t h e s t o r i e s c o n c e r n i n g i t s c h a n g e i n c o l o r f r o m a g o l d e n b r o n z e c a s t i n g t o b l a c k . T h e s e s t o r i e s b l a m e e v i l b e h a v i o r , s t o r m s , i n f i d e l i t y , a n d e v e n m u r - d e r . O n e v e r s i o n i s t h a t T e r e s a F e l d e v e r t w a s a v e r y m y s t e r i o u s w o m a n , a n d h e r e v i l c a u s e d t h e A n g e l t o t u r n b l a c k , w h i c h w o u l d s e r v e a s a c o n s t a n t r e m i n d e r o f t h e s i n s i n t h e f a m i l y . A n o t h e r s t o r y b e h i n d t h e c o l o r r e s i d e n t s , t h e A n g e l w a s i n s t a l l e d u p o n i t s a r - r i v a l i n 1 9 1 2 . A c c o r d i n g t o o t h e r p u b l i c a - t i o n s , i t w a s s t o r e d i n a b a r n f o r s i x y e a r s a n d w a s n o t e r e c t e d u n t i l 1 9 1 8 f o l l o w i n g a c o u r t c a s e b r o u g h t a g a i n s t t h e a r t i s t b y T e r e s a . S h e r e f u s e d t o p a y t h e $ 5 , 0 0 0 b e c a u s e i t d i d n o t m e e t h e r s p e c i f i c a t i o n t o i n c l u d e a r e p l i c a o f h e r s o n s t r e e s t u m p m o n u m e n t i n t h e A n g e l m o n u m e n t , b u t s h e e v e n t u a l l y l o s t t h e c a s e . change is that there was a s t o r m o n t h e n i g h t following Teresas burial an d t h e A n g e l w a s said to have been struck b y l i g h t n i n g . There are also a fe w s t o r i e s t h a t b l a m e the black color on infidelit y . O n e t a l e i s t h a t a man erected the monum e n t o v e r h i s w i f e s grave, and because of her u n f a i t h f u l n e s s t o him duringtheir marriagethe Angelblackened toserve as a re-minder of hersins. Anotherexplanation isthat the Angel turned bla c k a f t e r a g r i e v i n g woman buried her husban d a n d v o w e d t h a t the Angel would turn bla c k i f s h e w a s e v e r unfaithful to him.One of the most bi z a r r e e x p l a n a t i o n s for the Angels blackness is t h a t a p r e a c h e r s son is buried beneath the A n g e l , a n d i t t u r n e d black because the preacher h a d m u r d e r e d h i s son.The strictly scient i f i c e x p l a n a t i o n i s that the blackness is caus e d b y o x i d a t i o n o f the bronze resulting from i t s n a t u r a l e x p o s u r e to the elements. M y t h s v N o U n i v e r s i t y o f I o w a c o e d i s a t r u e c o e d u n l e s s t h e y h a v e b e e n k i s s e d i n f r o n t o f t h e B l a c k A n g e l . v A n y g i r l k i s s e d n e a r h e r i n t h e m o o n l i g h t w i l l d i e w i t h i n s i x m o n t h s . v I f a g i r l w h o i s i n n o c e n t o f m e n a n d t h e w o r l d i s k i s s e d i n f r o n t o f t h e A n g e l , t h e A n g e l w i l l r e t u r n t o i t s o r i g i n a l c o l o r , a n d t h e c u r s e t h a t t u r n e d i t b l a c k w i l l b e l i f t e d . v T o u c h i n g t h e A n g e l a t m i d n i g h t o n H a l l o w - e e n m e a n s d e a t h w i t h i n s e v e n y e a r s . v A n y o n e w h o k i s s e s t h e A n g e l w i l l d i e i n - s t a n t l y . v E v e r y p a s s i n g H a l l o w e e n c a u s e s t h e A n g e l t o t u r n o n e s h a d e d a r k e r a s a r e m i n d e r o f t h e p e o p l e s h e h a s k i l l e d . P e c u l i a r i t i e s v T h e m o n u m e n t h a s b e e n t h e s i g h t o f m a n y w e d d i n g s i n t h e p a s t . v T h e c e m e n t t r e e s t u m p m o n u m e n t h a s n o d a t e i n s c r i b e d , a n d t h e r e i s n o d e a t h d a t e o n t h e B l a c k A n g e l m o n u m e n t f o r T e r e s a F e l d e v e r t . v N e i g h b o r s o f t h e c e m e t e r y c o u l d b e f o u n d s c r a p i n g t h e s t a t u e t r y i n g t o f i g u r e o u t t h e r e a s o n f o r t h e b l a c k n e s s . v A n g e l s o n g r a v e s a r e u s u a l l y p o s i t i o n e d w i t h t h e i r h e a d s a n d w i n g s u p l i f t e d a s a s y m b o l o f a i d i n g i n t h e a s c e n t t o h e a v e n , b u t t h e B l a c k A n g e l s f a c e i s l o o k - i n g d o w n t o w a r d s t h e g r o u n d a n d h e r w i n g s a r e n o t u p l i f t e d . The Black Angel and tree stu m p m o n u m e n t s a r e located on Lot #1 in Block #24. InscriptionS & Translation s The inscriptions on the Black A n g e l a n d t h e tree stump are not easily di s c e r n a b l e b y most visitors to the cemetery. T h e i n s c r i p - tion on the Black Angel mon u m e n t i s i n a n old dialect of Bohemian, an d t i m e a n d t h e elements have taken their to l l o n t h e t r e e stumps scroll.RODINA FELDEVE R T O V A The Feldevert Family The following inscription can b e f o u n d o n t h e south side of the base of th e B l a c k A n g e l monument:PRO MNE SLUNCE MRA K Y KRYLY GEST BYLA TRN I T A N E Z UTEGHY UBIHALY DN O Y E M E H O ZIYOTA PRAGI SYOJI V Y K O N A L A S UDZY JEN K DOBRU SU E T R U C E SKLADAS HLAVA KLESA D U G H M DALKY OKLETA KDEPOSTRASTEGH TEBEST A L A OCEKAYN ODPLATAThis Bohemian inscription has b e e n t r a n s l a t e d many times by University stud e n t s a n d n e i g h - bors in nearby Goosetown. T h i s i s t h e m o s t r e c e n t t r a n s l a t i o n : T h e s u n a n d c l o u d s s t o o d a b o v e m y j o u r n e y T h e r e w e r e t o u g h a n d j o y f u l d a y s i n m y l i f e . Y o u d i d m y w o r k j u s t t o m a k e t h e w o r l d b e t t e r . Y o u f o l d y o u r h a n d s a n d y o u r h e a d g o e s d o w n . Y o u r s p i r i t f l i e s a w a y w h e r e e v e r l a s t i n g r e w a r d I s w a i t i n g f o r y o u a f t e r h a r d s h i p . - T r a n s l a t e d b y R o s t i s l a v H r u b y f r o m V i z o v i c e , C z e c h R e p u b l i c ( 6 / 2 / 0 0 ) t h e T r e e S t u m p M o n u m e n t T h e i n s c r i p t i o n o n T e r e s a s s o n s m o n u - m e n t w a s w r i t t e n i n E n g l i s h a n d r e a d s : L i k e a b u d j u s t o p e n i n g C o m m e n c e d m y l i f e t o b e B u t d e a t h c a m e w i t h o u t m e r c y , w i t h o u t p i t y T h e L o r d h a d s e n t f o r m e I w a s n o t g r a n t e d t i m e t o b i d a d i e u D o n o t w e e p f o r m e , d e a r m o t h e r . I a m a t p e a c e i n m y c o o l g r a v e . O a k l a n d C e m e t e r y O p e n 7 : 3 0 a . m . - 9 : 0 0 p . m . , s e v e n d a y s a w e e k C e m e t e r y o f f i c e h o u r s : M o n d a y - F r i d a y , 8 : 0 0 a . m . - 4 : 3 0 p . m . ( 3 1 9 ) 3 5 6 - 5 1 0 5 S p e c i a l U s e p e r m i t s a r e a v a i l a b l e a t t h e o f f i c e f o r a l l g r o u p s o r s p e c i a l p r o j e c t s . P l e a s e m a k e a r r a n g e m e n t s w e l l i n a d v a n c e o f n e e d . L o o k a n d e n j o y , b u t p l e a s e d o n t t o u c h t h e m o n u m e n t s . R u b b i n g s a n d t r a c i n g s o f m o n u - m e n t s a r e n o t a l l o w e d d u e t o t h e f r a g i l e n a t u r e o f m a n y o f t h e s t o n e s . ’ R F X P H Q W 6 H U Y L F H V O a k l a n d C e m e t e r y i s l o c a t e d a t 1 0 0 0 B r o w n S t r e e t o n t h e N o r t h e a s t s i d e o f I o w a C i t y . T e x t a n d r e s e a r c h : J o y c e C a r r o l l & A l l i s o n S e t t l e s P h o t o s : L a n n y W i l k e r s o n E