Tears of an Angel: Haserot Angel at Lake View Cemetery

Years ago, when I was working at a restaurant, I would come in early to help with prep. We would have deliveries arrive at certain times of the week from Sysco and another company. Sometimes, when this truck would come in, my coworker would tell me, “Northern is here.”  The truck Northern Haserot would come in. Typically, they would bring in bread for sandwiches that the restaurant would make. I did not connect the dots at the time that the name on a food delivery truck would be associated with a crying angel statue in a cemetery. This is the story of The Angel of Death Victorious, otherwise known as the Haserot Angel. 

Francis Henry Haserot 

Francis Henry Haserot was the son of a German immigrant who started as a merchandise broker. He was the president of The Haserot Company, which focused on canned goods. This was founded in 1878 and incorporated as the Haserot Company in 1895. 

In 1919, his wife, Sarah Henrietta McKinney Haserot, would sadly pass away. She was the daughter of a judge. Francis wanted to commemorate her.

Herman Matzen

Francis commissioned Herman Matzen to make an angelic statue dedicated to his wife. Herman was a sculptor who emigrated from Denmark. Some of his other works include the statues outside the Summit County Courthouse and the Cain and Abel Statues outside the Lake County Courthouse. The angel statue was completed in 1923 and has been on the grave since.  

Paranormal phenomena with the statue

Over the years, since she was placed there, black streaks would appear from under her eyes as if the statue were crying. Some people claimed to have seen the statue cry and to have heard noises. There have even been claims that the statue moved. These phenomena have brought avid paranormal investigations to the site, though there are other reasons they are there. This story is for another day as it would be its own article, but one of them involves a school fire that happened in 1908 and 19 unidentified bodies buried with a memorial marker for 174 killed (172 were children).

Scientific reasons the statue looks like it is crying

If you were to ask a scientist why the angel is crying, they would say one word: oxidation. Over the years, the weather would wear away the statue and cause the bronze to oxidize, making the metal streaks appear as if the statue were crying. 

Popularity 

Whether or not there is paranormal activity, the statue's appearance is haunted in and of itself. On some nice days, one would witness a few people lined up to take a photo of a beautifully solemn statue. As a photographer, I recommend it as a lovely place to take pictures and get views.  I love this veiw of her looking up than farther shots because I feel like it humanizes her more outside the ghost story lore.

The Haserot Company in its later years

Francis would pass away in 1954. In 1976, the Haserot Company acquired Northern Frozen Foods, which was renamed Northern Haserot. Today, it is operated by the Kern Family. So when you see these trucks, remember that they are connected to a crying angel statue.