One hundred years ago, Teresa Dolezal Feldevert died, her ashes laid to rest beneath a statue that has since become an icon of dark romance and superstition in Iowa City.

The Black Angel of Oakland Cemetery, commissioned by Feldevert in 1913 to honor her late son and husband, has sparked myths of curses, fated romances, and claims that the statue — which was originally bronze — darkens in color every Halloween.

Some say touching its feet brings death, while others believe a moonlit kiss near the statue can seal a tragic fate or a lifelong bond, depending on the storyteller.

However, Matthew O’Brien, a paranormal investigator and founder of Iowa City Ghost Hunters, said the true story of Feldevert — a grieving mother and pioneering physician — is often lost in the lore.

“I do get the feeling that the mother, Teresa, is not at peace,” O’Brien said. “I believe she’s upset because of the death of her son.”

Born in Strmilov, Bohemia, in 1836, Feldevert was a practicing doctor who later trained as a midwife. She immigrated to Iowa City with her son Eddie Dolezal in the late 1800s when he was a toddler.

They lived in Iowa City until 1891, when Eddie, then 18 years old, died of meningitis.

Heartbroken, Feldevert commissioned a monument resembling a tree stump, symbolizing the severed family line, to mark Eddie’s grave at Oakland Cemetery. This monument still stands next to the angel.

After her son’s death, Teresa married Nicholas Feldevert and moved to Oregon. When Nicholas died in 1911, she returned to Iowa City and commissioned the Black Angel, both as a guardian for her son’s grave and a final resting place for her husband’s ashes.

When Teresa passed away on Nov. 18, 1924, her ashes were placed beneath the angel as well.

Having received multiple requests from community members, O’Brien said he and his team of paranormal investigators visited the Black Angel on Halloween night in 2016.

O’Brien described how, upon arriving, he and his team made several slow circles around the statue to get a sense of its presence. They noted the angel’s missing fingers — broken off by vandals years ago — and the usual assortment of offerings left by locals at its base.

At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, O’Brien said. But as they continued their rounds, he said something unexpected appeared.

“The fourth time we went around it, there was a red rose that appeared on the ground, and it wasn’t there all the other times,” O’Brien said. “There was nobody out there with us, just us, and it was in broad daylight. So, we would have seen other people come up.”

Despite the statue’s eerie reputation, O’Brien added that he and his team did not sense anything negative during their investigation.

While some believe the statue’s change in color is due to Teresa’s marital infidelity or spiritual darkness, O’Brien said he attributes the shift to natural oxidation after years of exposure to the elements.

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“As far as all the myths saying if you touch the feet you’re going to die, and stuff like that, I have to say that’s all garbage,” O’Brien said. “I personally touched the angel on the feet, and nothing’s ever happened to me.”

Perhaps the unexpected appearance of the rose suggests a more tender side to the Black Angel — a side that, for some, has proven to be a symbol of love and connection.

For Mikayla Rosenthal, a 2020 graduate of the University of Iowa, the angel became a central part of her own love story.

“I refer to her as my girl, because she brought my boyfriend and I together,” Rosenthal said. “So, when I go, it’s more of a welcoming presence.”

Rosenthal explained that she and her boyfriend met six years ago during her freshman year at the UI. They spent their first date exploring several of Iowa City’s historic sites, including the Black Angel monument.

“We didn’t have our first kiss there, but we did hug for the first time at the Black Angel,” Rosenthal said.

Since then, they’ve returned to the Black Angel every year on their anniversary, with plans to one day exchange their vows there.

“I’m almost protective of her and want to shed light on it being a good omen, not a bad omen,” Rosenthal said. “Look at her not as something spooky but as Iowa City’s hidden mascot.”

This sense of romance around the Black Angel also resonates with Amy Kanellis, a lifelong Iowa City resident and UI alumni who remembers nights spent creeping around the statue with friends in high school, captivated by all its lore.

“It’s definitely associated with romance. For some people, it’s not good romance. And for some people, it’s good luck,” Kanellis said. “So, I think you can decide what you want it to be.”

Kanellis recalls a popular rumor from her college days, which claimed that any couple who shared a kiss in front of the Black Angel was destined to marry.

“But I’m telling you that that is not true,” Kanellis said. “Because I’ve kissed a few people next to it and only married one of them.”