(from L to R: Joe “Pep” Puliti(Polite), Elmer Polite, Johnny Falini, and Wanda Polite McGlinchey (front), approx 1939)
Uncle Pep (Joe Puliti, on the far left above) suggested we put together a list of people that have worked at The Cow over the years. The list below represents his memories. If you recall any others or you worked at The Cow, please add a note in the comments along with the years you worked and what your job was — and even tell us what you are up to now!
Here is Uncle Pep’s list:
Larry Polite, Chairman of the Board and head busboy
Vince Dougherty, Food prep manager
Elmer Polite, Assistant food prep Manager and scheduler
Willie Minor , Assistant candy maker, Assistant ice cream maker. Dishwasher and grounds keeper.
Kerry Polite & Kim (Polite) Puliti, Ice Cream makers Short Order cooks
Millie (Polite) Carlini, Head waitress
Waitresses:
Wendy Polite Nickles, Dottie Smedley, Maisie Smedley, Emily Cowan, Dottie Rice, Dora Picotti, Gwen Stafford, Debbie Parry, Sally Jefferys
Part time employees:
Saundra Polite Schier, Wanda Polite McGlinchey, Erin McGlinchey, Kevin McGlinchey
Ice Cream Dippers:
Chandler Rigdon, Sam Kunkle, Huey Dunlap, Johnny Falini
Seasonal employees:
George Smith, Walter Miller
Kevin,
A topic for my father or Gladys would be information about the animal pen behind the restaurant. I’m not sure ifg you remember it or not. It was probably closed down when I was around 10 years old. They had chickens, pheasants, and a peacock. Peppy said that at one time they had deer and even a bear.
best regards
Hey Kevin, My parents told me you were trying to collect information on the Cow. I had many fine years there and lots of memories. I worked there from I think about 1970 to about 1976. I can’t remember exactly.
I learned a lot about life thanks to Larry, Elmer, Vince and Pep. I Love the old pictures.
TIm Hash
Glad I happened upon this site. My fondest childhood times were spent at “The Cow”
I have lost touch with the Polites- Could someone fill me in.
Now in Flippin Arkansas
Suzy and Claudia Hauck
Joanne Finegan
Brian Woodward
JIm Meanix
Mike McLaughlin
Marion Marcus
2 girls who were WCSU roommates who were the managers
and a brother and a sister who were from the catholic HS who were there too. all about 1977-79. Brian “Woody” dated the girl.
Now I’m stumped.
Claudia daly
Hello Claudia, Sean, Erin, et. al.!
Great website! Lots of memories as I read it. The Cow was always a welcome part of my family’s life in the ’60′s and ’70′s. My sister, my brother, and I all worked there about the same time as Claudia and Erin (’77 – ’79/80). It was great fun!
Sean, I seem to recall you worked there too during those later months/years. Is that true? Anyways,…
Claudia, Good job on the names. Let me try to unstump you from what I remember. I am the boy from the Catholic school up the road (Sts. P&J) and the HS. As you typed,…
-you and Suzy (I hope you are both well.)
-Joanne Finegan (I forgot about her.)
-Brian “Woody” Woodward (who dated my sister Dede.)
-Jim Meanix (I forgot he worked there too.)
-Mike “Schooner” McLaughlin
-Marion Marcus
-the two WCSU (even though it was just West Chester State at the time) roommates- Barb Lydon and Lori (I can’t recall her surname.)
-Dede Popplewell, my sister (who was the manager after Lori left.)
-Steve “Zac” Zacarelli
-Tom Belnomi
-Steve Gates
-Rob Helhake
-a taller, thin, darkhaired girl named Cheryl
-Dan Popplewell, my brother
-Erin
-me!
-Tony Ipolito (he and Steve Shaeffer, with the help of Tony’s sister made the ice cream.)
-Tony’s sister (but I can’t recall her name)
-Steve Shaeffer
-Tori Cruse
-the two Smith girls (Terri and her sister whose name I can’t recall but she dated Steve Shaeffer.)
-Bev, the redheaded daytime cook
-Willie of course
-the H&H maintenance guy that used to come in all the time in his green van
I am sure there are others but I can’t recall them right now. I will update if I remember.
I seem to recall that the caramels were made in the back room when I first started there. I think it only happened a couple times when I worked there and then they stopped making them (at least at the Cow).
I was a volunteer firefighter for Station 6 (Exton/West Whiteland) for about 10 years and at the time I worked at the Cow. The fire company used to have a lot pictures of the crossroads and the Cow from back in the 40′s, 50′s, etc.
Anyways, thought I’d throw my two cents in. Thank you again for the great website. Hope everyone is doing well!
Thanx,
dave
David P. Popplewell
well played, Dave! You’ve filled in some great blanks. thanks for stopping by!
I just got an e-mail from WordPress.com indicating there was a new comment on the ‘Employees’ section so I came to read it but I do not see it. The e-mail indicates it was from GalinaNaruzova. I don’t know who that is.
Regardless, for some strange reason, as soon as I read the above name, two other names popped into my head.
I don’t recall their surnames but their given names were Phil and Gail. They worked the day shift in the later days that I worked there.
wow, what a flashback to read some of these comments. while not my first job, it was certainly a memorable one especially since Claudia and I worked most of our shifts together and would draw straws for certain customers or assignments. a true employee, however, could not write a note without mentioning “Willie”. we all took care of him, what a great guy…
Hi everyone,
I am also a fellow alum of the “Cow” I am not even sure how I stumbled into this site, but I would like to add a few names.
I graduated from Henderson H.S. with Joanne, Claudia ,Erin, Marion,Tory C, Schooner and Woody!!! A few others to add to the list are Chris Mundy, Jim Meanix’s sister Ellen, I think Blake Gladfelter and my neighbor who got me the Job at the “Cow” Linda Lanigan.
I think I worked at the “Cow” for about two years. I remember working in the back making Ice Cream with Tony & Steve most of the summer of ’78. We pulled all nighters that summer to free up time to hit the beach.
“Wille” I saw Wille a couple years ago at the Coatesville Senior Center. A little grey hair but it was still the same Willie.
Thanks everyone for a trip down memory lane.
Claudia & Joanne I think our 30th is coming up, maybe I’ll see you there.
My dad (Phil Kurz) was Kim, Kerry and Wendy’s uncle. When I was a kid in the 60′s, my dad would bring home a bucket of the cream caramels from “uncle Joes dairy bar”. I can still taste them! It’s great to see you are still in business. I will have to take a road trip.
Pete Kurz
Richmond, Va
Wow, what a great site. It sure brings back memories. I also worked at “The Cow” during the Horn and Hardart days and later with the Delvechios. I remember starting out as a busboy, then a dipper, I later waitered and then made the ice cream myself (my favorite job). My favorite ice cream flavors were Black Raspberry (its great as a milkshake) and Mint Chocolate Chip.
Glenn
This just popped into my head…not sure why…but Patrick Lyons and his sister Kathy also worked there at about the same time as the above.
Dave Popplewell, is correct I worked at the Cow day shift 11 a.m. till 3 p.m. from Sept 1978 until June of 1979 on a school work program through the Downingtown High School PRO program along with Gail Briggs (Roy) who also was in the same high school work program. Our manager was Ann Healey during that time., also worked with a woman from Downingtown “Ida” and a “Marleen” from Malvern as well. Remember Lisa Polite working with us from time to time also. Worked for H & H at that time as well for 2.40 an hr. Willie would alway say HI to just about anyone and each time it sounded like ” hi hi guy”. Flavor I miss the most is the Cow’s Chocolate Chip it wasn’t just vanilla with chips it was a light chocolate ice cream with chips. And Butter Brickle. Great Memories of the Cow.
Philip Hemcher
hey!!! so glad to see all these comments! Dave- you have a great memory!!!! Its awesome. It made me realize that we were really a great meld of local High schools. I sure loved seeing those names and putting the faces I could remember. Rob and Joanne, I never made it to the reunion. I had to work that weekend. I’m pretty sure all the “cool” people worked at the cow.
My sister suzy and I are doing well. She keeps up with erin Mchloinchey and told me about this site. We both still love ice cream. We’re chocolate chip girls- for me its mocha chip any day.
I was a seasonal employee (1962-63, little fuzzy on the dates) while a student at Downingtown High School. My friend, Ron Britton, and I worked summer weekends together behind the counter, occasionally venturing into busing, serving, cooking, and in Willie’s absence, washing dishes. Had great fun working with Pep, Elmer and Vince. Lots of good memories. Have lost contact with Ron Britton.
How great this site is. I’m Tony Ippolito’s sister and I started working there in high school, early 80′s. Started washing dishes, dipping ice cream and then waitressed. I worked with the DelViscio’s also, Nick was a hoot! My brother John Ippolito worked there as well. My favorite ice cream was one they made up, I think the name was German chocolate cake. It was vanilla with chocolate swirls and some kind of chocolate covered crunchies. Whatever it was, it was the best. Lots of great memories there for me also. Loved Willie.
I never worked at the Cow but I and my family spent a lot of money there! We lived in Exton from the mid 50′s through about 1978, when my mother and father moved south to Florida. We lived up “on the hill”, the ridge to the north of Exton, above what is now Wicks Ski Shop. In the early 60′s, before the trees grew so tall, my dad put a big huge “star” up on our roof at Christmas time that you could see from the crossroads. I remember running around with kids from Meadowbrook Manor, my pals Steve Ashbridge and Ted Rogers, and many more. I worked at the Exton Mall when it first opened, at Strawbridge & Clothier. My brother worked at the Exton Cinema. I remember many nights and days at the Drive-In, the Exton Roller Rink, and so on. The old place sure has changed!
What a stroll down memory lane. Thank God for my brother, Dave. Obviously, he was given the ability to remember names more so than I was!!! It is great to see so many people sharing their memories of The Cow. I started out waitressing at the Cow about 1977. Like most of the people above, ended up doing many jobs there including, making ice cream, dipping, and finally managing the facility. When H & H bought the place I went on to work for them in a management position. Eventually they closed the restaurant and I got transferred to Bala Cynwyd(sp?). I only made that drive for a few months.
I remember after hours at The Cow many of us would hang out together, Claudia, Marion, Schoon, Brian, Rob, Zac, Pat, Tori, Erin……What fun days!!! Miss those times and hope all is well with everyone!!!
Wow!! The years fly by!! I work at “The Cow” during high school with a lot of classmates in the late 70′s early 80′s. It was a good job and a happy time at the same time. Many stories to tell and good times to remember.
We can not forget Willy. I wonder how he has been and if he ok.
It is still the BEST ice cream I ever had. Rum Raisin, Butter Brickle, Black Rasberry. Nobody maked it as good as The Cow did.
The People made the job special and not seem like it was work. I miss those times and people.
Oh Boy – The Cow – such a fun High School job…where else could you earn money and get to eat cheese steaks and ice cream when you were on break???
It was my first official job (besides babysitting) and I worked as a waitress from 80 through 82 – then went off to college…
Beth Sekela suggested I try to get a job there and we had lots of fun working together at the COW.
Cathy Shane also worked with us.
Chris Taraschi too…
I remember working with Erin & Brian McGlinchey – but I think you were done working at The Cow by then weren’t you Sean?
After hours Ms. Pac Man tournaments gave me my mad Ms. Pac Man skills that still keep me able to top anyone that I challenge today… I would be worried if I had to face down a Cow alum.
And Erin made an amazing special recipe grilled cheese…wheat bread, turkey, cheese, pickles and mustard – its now a family favorite in our house and brings back some good time memories of The Cow every time I make it.
Butter Brickle reigned supreme and I have never found one that matched that recipe. I used to make Butter Brickle milkshakes,,,,YUM!
Although that German Chocolate Cake recipe really was good….
Great site – thanks!!