Losing Angel

NEOSHO, Wis. — When Paige Conley was 10 years old, she received a special Christmas gift. The present, which was black and white with four long legs, was a Holstein calf named Angel. Paige won Angel in Dairy Star’s 2020 Great Christmas Giveaway.

“I was really surprised because I wasn’t expecting it,” Paige said. “What are the odds that my name would be drawn? When I saw Angel, she was really pretty, and I fell in love with her at first sight.”

For the next 5.5 years, the two shared a precious bond and made many memories growing up together. Paige owned one other animal, but Angel was the first Holstein to her name. Angel was the calf on the halter when Paige entered the show ring for the first time and was the one that ignited her passion for showing.

Paige and her parents, Chris and Brenda, and her sister, Mckayla, milk 52 cows and farm 120 acres at High-Gem Holsteins & Normandes near Neosho. Their cows graze on up to 75 acres between April and November.

On the evening of June 5, the weekend of Mckayla’s high school graduation and the Dodge County dairy breakfast which Brenda helped set up for, Angel was struck by lightning while on pasture.

“I was really sad because Angel was so special to me,” Paige said.

Around 11 p.m., bad thunderstorms had hit the area.

“There was a huge crack of lightning so close that it shook the whole house,” Brenda said. “I saw the lightning strike but didn’t think anything of it at the time.”

When Chris went out to the pasture the next morning at 5:30, he said he was shocked to discover that Angel had died.

“Next year it will be 100 years that our family has had cattle here,” Chris said. “They’ve been out on pasture for 99 years, and something like this has never happened before.”

The Conleys believe the tree next to where Angel was standing that night got struck by lightning, and it traveled through the fence that she was next to. Their veterinarian confirmed the cause of death was a lightning strike.

“The vet said when it happens, their heart stops, and they don’t feel anything,” Brenda said. “It’s instant, so that was the good thing — that she didn’t suffer. It’s sad, but we’re lucky she was the only one.”

Crisdhome Solomon Angel-ET VG-86 was born Sept. 26, 2020.

“She stood out because she was our tallest Holstein,” Paige said. “We had her in the first stall, and every time people walked in, they would ask all about her because she was so tall she could barely stand in her stall. People loved the way she looked.”

Angel’s friendly demeanor also won people over.

“She was really nice and calm,” Paige said. “She loved getting rubs. You could go up to her and scratch her, and she would not even flinch. She would just stand there.”

Paige’s entire family was smitten by Angel’s good looks and charming personality.

“We all fell in love with her,” Brenda said. “She was a very friendly cow. Everybody noticed her. People remember when Paige got Angel, and somebody just asked Paige about her before she passed, asked how she was doing.”

The loss of Angel was magnified by the fact she was pregnant with her first heifer calf and due in September.

“She was a little harder breeder, but this time, Angel was confirmed pregnant after her first service and was ready to dry up before she died,” Brenda said.

Up until this point, Angel was the dam of all bull calves, one of which went on to be a herd sire in northern Wisconsin.

“I was really excited because she was going to have a heifer calf, and she was going to be my calf for the fair next year,” Paige said.

Paige’s favorite memory of Angel is showing her at the county fair. As soon as the Conleys brought Angel home in December 2020, Paige began leading her in preparation for the Dodge County Fair the following summer. Paige showed at the fair for the first time in 2021, exhibiting Angel as a fall calf.

“I did get last place, but it was a really good experience because I got a lot of tips from people, and people were really nice to me,” Paige said. “Seeing that made me want to continue showing, and I’ve been showing ever since.”

Angel quickly outgrew Paige and was too tall for her to show a second year, however.

“I started showing Brown Swiss, and I’m really into that breed now,” Paige said. “I’ve really wanted to get first place in showmanship, so I’ve been working every single year to eventually get to the top.”

Last year, she got closer at the Washington County Fair when she took second place in senior showmanship. This year, the 16-year-old also showed at the District 8 Holstein Show for the first time.

“Angel got me going and really helped me continue in my showing career and in helping me achieve future goals,” Paige said.

Angel provided for the family in the bulk tank too.

“We don’t push for production, but she kept up and always produced very well,” Brenda said. “During peak lactation, she was always making 80-100 pounds, so we were very happy with her. There were never any issues with her calving in either. Angel rolled right along with our herd, which we loved about her. She was a trouble-free cow.”

The Conleys said they miss seeing Angel in her favorite stall, where her collar and bell now hang.

“There’s an empty spot there,” Chris said.

As Paige moves on, she said she will always cherish the years spent with her beloved Angel.