The Black Angel in Oakland Cemetery, Iowa City: A Monument Steeped in Legend and Lore

The black angel of whom I speak is located in Oakland Cemetery near downtown Iowa City, Iowa. This historic cemetery is filled with monuments nearing or exceeding the 100-year mark and residing within the oldest section, is the black angel. To see her in all her glory one must visit her on two different occasions. One: when it is bright sunshine to appreciate her workman ship. And the other time: when it is dark, preferably with a full moon. For though she is adequately lit with large bright lights, it is in the dark that her true personality and character comes into play. For those who are interested in seeing her up close, remember there are visitation rules and regulations to Oakland Cemetery and they are strictly enforced. Oakland Cemetery is home to many other monuments as well. The black angel is not the only interesting monument in residence. And though there are many sites which give basic information about the Black Angel and what some say is the truth behind this interesting and odd monument, http://www.prairieghosts.com/oakland.html it is by far one of the most talked about markers in the Iowa City area.

As it is, I grew up not far from Iowa City and have heard a variety of stories surrounding her from persons from different walks of life as well as a variety of ages throughout the years. But no matter what details were given, the basics stayed the same. It is true that The Black Angel was a monument ordered to stand above the grave of Teresa Dolezal Feldevert's loved ones. Teresa was a woman from Bohemia, who came to the area with her son whom is buried beneath a monument, which looks like a tree stump nearby the Black Angel. When her son died suddenly at age 18, Teresa moved to the West Coast and remarried. But apparently she was not destined to be happy with her new husband as he died but a few years later. Teresa moved back to Iowa City but not before she ordered the black angel to be sculpted in honor of her beloved husband and son.

And this is where fact becomes mixed up in fiction. History has it that Teresa was not happy with the monument and refused to pay the amount billed. She was later sued and lost the case. Though she remained bitter about the court case, she personally had nothing to do with it changing colors. In fact, some stories say the blackening of the angel is but a natural occurrence within the bronze.

Other stories have it that Teresa fell in love again with a local man. She was not to enjoy this love either as legend has it that she became ill and was told she was ill and did not have long to live. As she lay on her deathbed she asked her lover to stay true to her. If he didn't she said, she would show him her displeasure.

This is part of the story pertaining the fact that The Black Angel had been shipped from Europe pure white and was at that time standing beautifully pearlescent in its' place in the cemetery. But as these things often happen, and the widower proved not to stay faithful to Teresa, something occurred on a "dark and stormy night" to change the color of the angel from white to black (some legends say it was hit by lightening, others say it just changed colors with no outside application). Whatever the story may be, there always seemed to be a sudden and mysterious change to the angel virtually overnight and the man involved with Teresa was convinced she was sending him a message through the drastic change in the monument. He was rumored to have disappeared from the area after the angel's transformation.

A lot of legend and lore surround The Black Angel, and to be honest, she is pretty awesome to see first hand. Pictures can't begin to capture the atmosphere around her. Stories surround her, which have been told and retold, some so often that no one knows the true origin of the tale or how it came to be. But the truth about the monument? I have no idea, but I've talked to plenty of locals and they say she is nothing to be fooled with.

Some say that the spirit of the woman who haunts her lies beneath her wings. Teresa reportedly was not a happy woman in life and is unhappier still in death. She asked for this angel to be placed above her loved ones in death but no one knows for sure if she specified the pose the angel has taken or if it was left to the sculptor to decide. It is decidedly odd in nature. Most angels in monument form have wings up spread and are gazing at the heavens. The black angel is definitely different from the norm in that she has one wing pointing upwards and the other opposite as she gazes at the ground. One cannot help but wonder why the sculptor chose this pose for the black angel. Or if it was chosen with a purpose in mind.

Some legends have it that if you disrespect The Black Angel in any way, such as defacing the monument or as some young persons have done, kissing her under a full moon, bad luck will befall you. I have never personally done anything to incur her wrath but I did have a friend in my college days that climbed upon the monument, gazed into her eyes and "dared" her to do something to prove her power. On his way home after dropping me off, he lost control of his car when it suddenly died, and his steering locked up running it into a ditch. He also reported seeing something dart in front of his car just before he crashed. Though this is most probably coincidence, he later went back and apologized to the angel for his disrespectful actions. After he did so he never had another problem with his car dying. Another young man, it has been reported, broke off a piece of her finger and later became very ill. When his friends discovered what he had done to the angel, they took him to the cemetery and had him place the broken digit on the monument and apologize. Legend has it that he awoke the next morning, well and never again did or said anything to anger the angel.

Now there are many who say the black angel is just a monument and rightly so. There is no proof on record of any monument actually harming an individual who has shown disrespect. But if such a thing were possible, it is very easy to believe that the black angel could well be a monument that demands respect. For those who have seen her up close and personal can all agree that there is definitely something eerie about her and they won't disrespect her for anything. I don't either...better to be safe so they say.