The Hattie Waller statue at Maple Grove Cemetery in Wichita may be the city’s most well-known statue. The statue has been on the cover of a book, is cataloged in the Smithsonian Art Inventory Catalog, and has been treasured and cared for by Wichitans for over 130 years and counting.

The statue honors three-year-old Harriett “Hattie” Furlong Waller who died in 1889. Hattie was born and died between census years, so she didn’t appear on any census records. One report said she died of erysipelas, a bacterial skin infection also known as “St. Anthony’s Fire.” Others said she died of hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid in the brain.

Hattie’s funeral card, owned by Michelle Jones. Source

Hattie’s statue is so treasured that it was removed from the cemetery in 1994 to protect it. A concrete replica of the statue was placed on Hattie’s grave in 1995 and that is what marks Hattie’s grave today. The original marble statue is currently on display at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum.

A work of art.

The monument represents the 3-year-old child Hattie Waller, the late daughter of the F. Waller family. At her feet lies a white poodle, which was the child’s favorite. The figure is about 2 feet, but the whole monument with base is four feet high. The child’s facial features are modelled and carved from a photograph, and so exquisitely and realistically that the mother, when she first saw the marble statue, burst into tears and, moved with grief, thanked the artist heartily for his fine work.

Translated from a German article in the Wichita Herold, 1890

The child was dressed in an embroidered muslin dress, and on the statue the embroidery and the folds are so carefully and accurately carved that one would think the marble was actually covered with a dress. The child’s hair, the two bracelets, the ears and earrings and the arms with hands and fingers give the impression that the child is still alive and is actually standing there. The dog, which is nestling close to the child’s feet, is also capable of faithfully reproducing the effect of the dog with its faithful facial expression.

The Wichita Herold, 1890

The dog at her feet has been described as both a poodle and a water spaniel. It strongly resembles a lamb.

The longer one looks at the statue, the more beautiful and impressive it appears to our eyes, and everyone who has taken a closer look at this magnificent work of art is delighted by it and praises the artist.

The Wichita Herold, 1890

The statue was sculpted by Steven (or Stephen) Hesse of Wichita. Other work by Hesse can be found around Wichita, including stone artwork in the building facade of the museum where Hattie’s statue is now kept safe.

Hattie was the daughter of Clara Jane Furlong and her husband Fredric William Waller Jr. She was their only daughter, born in Wichita, and named after Clara’s mother.

Photo of Clara with Hattie as an infant, 1885 or 1886, owned Michelle Jones. Source

Hattie was originally buried at Highland Cemetery in a white casket with “Our Darling” on the side. Her father commissioned the statue immediately upon her death, and it was placed on her grave at Highland Cemetery the following year. Hattie’s grave and statue were moved across the street to Maple Grove Cemetery in 1892.

Hattie’s parents moved away from Wichita sometime between 1895-1900. Since she has no family members around here, local volunteers have tended to Hattie’s grave for decades.

Hattie’s statue weathered the elements for over 100 years before being moved indoors.

In Memory of Hattie F. Waller

The rosebud mouth, the dimpled face, and golden hair’s soft curl,

The bright blue eyes and gentle grace of one winsome baby girl,

Were more to us than all the gold that’s hid in dark earth’s breast,

Or rubies, pearls and diamonds dug from the mountain’s crest.

And how to take up the thread of life and how untangle the skein,

And how unite the severed ends that they be secure again,

Is what keeps our hearts freshly bleeding and sore,

And makes the kind words of our friends,

Seem inadequate for to heal up the wound,

That was made by dark sorrow’s harsh rends.

-Clara Jane Waller

Hattie Waller Statue in the News

Hattie Waller’s statue has been the subject of many local news articles.

The Wichita Beacon, Jul 22, 1940

The Wichita Eagle, Apr 18, 1968

The Wichita Eagle, Wichita, KS, Nov 15, 1987

The Wichita Eagle, Oct 11, 1990

The Wichita Eagle, Oct 25, 1990

Eric Cale, former manager of Maple Grove Cemetery, is the current director of the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum where Hattie’s statue is now preserved. The Wichita Eagle, Wichita, KS, Sep 21, 1995

Is This Hattie Waller?

This photo of an unidentified girl bears a resemblance to the Hattie Waller statue. Do you think this could be Hattie, or is the resemblance a coincidence?