Theft of concrete cow's book bag deemed 'udderly reprehensible'

Daisy Mae can't go to school.

At least not without her missing backpack, so Daisy, a 400-pound concrete yard cow, is dropping out of school, said Nancy Martz, co-owner of the black-and-white cow gracing the yard of her Greensburg home.

Last Wednesday morning, Nancy Martz and her husband, James, noticed Daisy's book bag, part of her back-to-school ensemble, was missing. James Martz said a student probably needed a backpack and took it — it was the first day of school for Greensburg Salem students.

Greensburg police said no complaints had been filed concerning a missing backpack.

Daisy, tethered to the lamp post of 130 Hawksworth Drive, has been stripped of her September decorations (a chalkboard, pencils and backpack), and now sits next to a sign announcing her decision to drop out of school — Nancy Martz put out the sign the day before Labor Day.

"Stolen backpack caused my quitting," the sign reads.

Karen Kifer, of Hempfield Township, said she often drives by Daisy's home and was saddened from seeing the bovine beauty without her decorations this week. The couple also received a note from another concerned proponent of Daisy's festive decor saying how sorry they were that someone stole the book bag.

"Somebody has to spoil everything," said Joan Wissinger of 156 Hawksworth.

But Nancy Martz said the decorations will resume within the next week as Daisy gets ready for football season. The couple plans to decorate their yard cow with a Steelers helmet and goal post. And in October, she'll be dressed as a firefighter for Halloween.

"We're not really overly concerned with anything else disappearing," James Martz said.

Past decorations included a child's yellow raincoat and umbrella for spring, and tank top, flip-flops and snorkel mask for summer.

After traveling out west, James Martz decided he wanted a life-sized cow similar to those advertising western ranches and dairy farms. But he said he didn't want to pay several thousand dollars for a fiberglass cow.

The Martzes began looking for a plastic cow they could fill with sand but instead found Daisy last September at a lawn and garden shop in Somerset County. They begin dressing her up in December and now change her costume every few weeks.

"So much good has come out of that cow since we started doing it," she said. "It's brought so much attention and happiness to the neighborhood."

James Martz said decorating Daisy is fun and gives him and his wife a laugh.

"It gives us something to do," he said.