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Waukesha, Wisconsin: Gertrude Basse the Cow

Her name is unusual, but so is a giant fiberglass cow.

Lifeway

Address:
2101 Delafield St., Waukesha, WI
Directions:
Lifeway. Across the street from the Waukesha County Expo Center and about 1/4 mile from the Crites Field Airport.
Admission:
Free
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Visitor Tips and News About Gertrude Basse the Cow

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Holiday cow.

Gertrude Basse the Cow

Road trip fun.

[Susan, 01/19/2021]

Gertrude Basse the Cow, garbed for the 2020 holiday and pandemic spirit.

Cow.

Gertrude Basse the Cow

Gertrude Basse the Cow.

[Bill Bansemer, 09/10/2009]

GertrudeB asse the cow.

Gertrude Basse the Cow

Bassie the Cow is on the property of the Golden Guernsey Dairy Coop. a division of Foremost Farms. It certainly is a big cow looking similar to the Big Cow at the Cedar Crest Specialties in Manitowoc, WI.

According to the company, the Guernsey cow who greets visitors at the GG Golden Guernsey Dairy plant in Waukesha is named Gertrude Basse (pronounced Baaaaaahssy). Gertrude Basse is 12 feet tall, made of fiberglass, weighs 400 to 500 pounds and cost about $3,000 when the company purchased it around 1970. The Wisconsin Guernsey Breeders Association paid for half of the cost.

Basse was vandalized in 1977 when an 18-year-old Waukesha man rammed his car into her and broke off two of her legs. The damage was repaired for $574 by Sculptured Advertising Company in Sparta, Wis., (F.A.S.T. Corporation of Sparta is an outgrowth of Sculptured Advertising -- it has had about three incarnations).

[Mark Bertieri, 09/20/2007]

Nearby Offbeat Places

Les Paul GravesiteLes Paul Gravesite, Waukesha, WI - 3 mi.
Nike Missile BaseNike Missile Base, Waukesha, WI - 3 mi.
Tiny Hobbit HouseTiny Hobbit House, Brookfield, WI - 5 mi.
In the region:
Pagoda Gas Station, West Allis, WI - 12 mi.

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