On a trip to Cleveland, Ohio, in June, Sweetums and I visited Lakeview Cemetery, a historic burial ground whose main feature is a massive castle built in honor of President James Garfield. See photos of the haunted castle here. Another of its fascinating monuments is known as the Haserot Angel, or more formally, “The Angel of Death Victorious.”
The angel, though beautiful, is as creepy as she (or he) sounds. According to legend, she cries black tears. They are actually an effect of aging of the bronze finish but they are certainly startling.
Locals often call the figure the Weeping Angel and tell numerous legends about the grave site. Some claim to have heard the angel crying or seen the figure move. Others say ghosts have been seen at the grave.
Lakeview Cemetery has more than 100,000 graves on 280 acres, but the Haserot Angel is worth finding. The life-sized figure is seated on the marble gravestone of Francis Haserot, who ran a canning empire. She holds an inverted torch, which is a symbol of a life extinguished.
The figure was carved by sculptor Herman N. Matzen, who was born in 1861 in Holland but soon moved with his family to Michigan. He would spend his adulthood in Cleveland, where he sculpted many artworks. Matzen is buried in Lakeview Cemetery.
KellyKazek.com 