The animals we keep as household pets are mostly cats and dogs and gerbils and snakes and turtles and
birds and …, well, you know. Of course horses and goats and even sheep make the list, but rarely do we
see a cow on the list of honored and revered family pets. Cows are, however, among the beloved. Take
this one cow – a gentle cow with large soft eyes, which resided among a herd of milkers on the Walker-
Gordon Farm in Plainsboro, NJ. Her name? That would be “You'll Do Lobelia.” Don’t ask. Cows get weird
names sometimes.
You’ll Do Lobelia was a special cow in her own way, however. For one thing she gave good milk, and she
gave lots of it. There was nothing special about her milk. It was just good milk. She was, as has been
mentioned, a gentle cow. The veterinarians and her handlers found her to be easy to work around; she had
“good color;” and she came across as somewhat intelligent, if that is possible for a cow.
You’ll Do Lobelia was a cow – nothing more and nothing less. However, You’ll Do Lobelia was destined for
something more. More than a cow? Well, we all know that cows are one of those animals without which our
society could not very well function. The number one useful resource of a cow is its milk. Milk is perhaps
the single most important staple of our diet. Every single society in the world raises and herds cows, and
among their most useful products, milk is without a doubt the most useful. Besides milk, cows are also
useful for their meat. We don’t particularly like to think about the slaughter of cows for their meat, but it is
one of the prime things about cows that prove their worthiness. Were it not for milk and beef, cows would
probably be of little or no value, and it is likely that cows would have gone out of existence many years ago.
To be certain, there are other useful products that cows produce. Leather is a useful product culled from
cow hide. Many useful articles of clothing and work gear are manufactured from cow hide. We have
leather belts, leather purses, leather jackets, leather seat covers, and many other useful leather goods.
Cow hide is one of the most durable products that cows produce.
You’ll Do Lobelia, however, had one other genuine and worthwhile contribution to make. Whereas You’ll
Do Lobelia began and ended her life as a milker, she did manage to find herself doing this in a very unique
-- shall we say -- setting. You’ll Do Lobelia, you see, was always on public display. You’ll Do Lobelia was
chosen from among hundreds of cows for a very speial purpose, to perform a very special task. And for her
performance and faithful service as a milker, You’ll Do Lobelia would achieve fame beyond what is normally
according a simple cow, for you see, You’ll Do Lobelia traveled the country, and in her travels she was put
on display, modeling the latest in automated milk machinery. Everywhere she went You’ll Do Lobelia was
among the main attractions. Whether she performed at a state fair, or was on public display at a school or
in front of a group of farmers or wherever – no didn’t matter, You’ll Do Lobelia was counted on and never
failed to deliver a performance worthy of the fame and adoration she achieved.
You’ll Do Lobelia would perform her act across the country, and everywhere she went she would attract a
following. Eventually she would become a sort of folk hero. Even to this very day, more than 60 years after
her death You’ll Do Lobelia is a star, a cow whose fame and admiration is second to none in the animal
kingdom. We’ve all seen the commercials with her in it. We’ve all seen and heard of …, well, we all know
and love Elsie.
Please take a moment to read or leave a comment in my Guestbook, or read more about daily life at Willow
Oak in my journal, or email me one of your own stories.
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