A Walk Down Memory Lane
By Greg Fugitt
Contributing Writer
As the grandson of Marie Bradley, I have always taken great pride in knowing that long before Louisa, Kentucky, became known for names like Ricky Skaggs, Tyler Childers and Noah Thompson, it was my grandmother, Marie Bradley, who brought national recognition to our little town. Her accomplishment didn’t come from a stage or a song, but from her heart, her creativity, and her deep love for family.
In 1957, my grandmother secured her place in Americana when she became one of the national winners in Borden Dairy’s contest to name the newest additions to the beloved Elsie the Cow family. The nationwide promotion invited the public to name Elsie’s newborn twin calves, and it quickly became one of the largest contests of its kind, drawing nearly three million entries from across the United States.
From that immense pool of submissions, her thoughtfully chosen names, Larabee and Lobelia, were selected as the winning pair.
What made her entry special was the deeply personal inspiration behind it. She created the name Lobelia as a derivative of her mother’s name, Lula Bell Nelson, and Larabee from her husband’s mother, Laura Bradley. In honoring both women, she wove the threads of her family into a national narrative, giving the new calves identities rooted in heritage and love.
The contest, judged by the Reuben H. Donnelley Corporation, brought quite a stir. Out of millions of entries, only 311 winners were selected, and my grandmother was one of them. Her prize, a refrigerator-freezer, may sound simple today, but in that era it was a symbol of modern convenience and luxury. Family stories say she treasured it not just for its usefulness, but for what it represented: a proud moment in her life, earned through thoughtfulness and devotion to family.
The naming of Larabee and Lobelia expanded the fictional Borden family, which already featured Elsie, her mate Elmer the Bull, and older calves Beulah and Beauregard, helping cement their place in mid-century advertising history.
Though the contest took place nearly seven decades ago, my grandmother’s achievement continues to live warmly within our family. To us, it is more than a marketing story; it is a reminder of her creativity, her humility, and her desire to honor the people she loved. By drawing inspiration from her mother and mother-in-law, she left a heartfelt mark on the American story, a legacy that, even now, continues to make us smile.