WAUPUN — Waupun’s oldest sculpture The Recording Angel turns 100 years old this week, an occasion celebrated with a Centennial Rededication Ceremony held at Forest Mound Cemetery Saturday morning.
Attended by over a hundred people, the ceremony heard from Mayor of Waupun Rohn Bishop, Waupun Historical Society president Zac Dickhut, Reverend Steven Miller, and master of ceremony Nick Rusch.
They also heard an essay “What My City Sculptures Mean To Me” by Kaelyn Mulder and a poem “Book of Bronze” by Arpad S Feher. Interspersed throughout the program were songs performed by the Waupun High School Choir.
The ceremony was put together by an Ad Hoc committee led by Historical Society Executive Director Kyle Clark and Fine Arts President Sue Haefmayer. The committee was announced last year by Mayor Bishop, who organized for the committee to honor this momentous event.
The sculpture was commissioned by Clarence Addison Shaler in 1921 following the death of his wife, Blanche Bancroft Shaler. It was designed and created by Loredo Taft, a Chicagoan sculptor who became good friends with Shaler when he attended the college due to their shared passion for the visual arts. The statue was placed in Forest Mound Cemetery without ceremony on October 11th, 1923.
When it was commissioned and placed, it did not have an official title. Locals took to calling it “The Doomsday Angel,” referring to Revelations 20:12 that refers to angels opening and reading the Book of Life in the final days. Eventually it became known as “The Recording Angel” due to the serene expression of the angel, as if reflecting on the passage of a good life.
The Recording Angel was the first public outdoor sculpture donated by Shaler to Waupun, and one of Waupun’s greatest cultural assets.
The ceremony lasted about 40 minutes with refreshments following the event.
All currently living former mayors were in attendance at the ceremony, including Bob Reinap, Jodi Steger, Kyle Clark, and Julie Nickel. Also in attendance were State Senator Dan Deyen and State Assemblyman Michael Schraa, and several members of the City Council.
The ceremony was followed by a play put on by the Waupun Community Players held at City Hall in the evening. The play was based on a blackmail threat against the Shaler-Hanisch family that threatened the destruction of the Recording Angel in 1928.
Photos and video of the event can be found below.
WATCH: Recording Angel Centennial Rededication Ceremony
Opening by Nick Rusch — 0:00
Legion Post 210 Color Guard and VFW Bentley-Hull Post 6709 — 0:30
Star Spangled Banner performed by Waupun High School Choir — 1:26
National Anthem led by Cub Scout Pack 3714 — 3:02
Prayer led by Reverend Steven Miller — 3:34
Remarks from Mayor of Waupun Rohn Bishop — 5:34
Essay “What My City Sculptures Mean To Me” by Kaelyn Mulder — 10:30
Song “Angels In Eternal Flight” performed by Waupun High School Choir — 13:36
Remarks from Historical Society President Zac Dickhut — 16:38
Poem “Book of Bronze” by Arpad S Feher — 27:05
Song “Angels Among Us” performed by Waupun High School Choir — 28:39
Announcements from Nick Rusch — 32:10
Benediction from Rev Steven Miller — 33:02
Retirement of the Colors — 33:43
Recognition and Thank You’s by Nick Rusch — 34:51
Song “Face to Face With Christ My Savior” — 35:20
Closing by Nick Rusch — 39:30
