We have another addition to our trip across the country and that is Van Cowden

Who is Van Cowden? Van is the older brother of Jere and is a 1957 graduate of Hickory High School (before Avella was formed). He is the CEO of Van Cowden Electric with his wife Bonnie serving as President of the Company. Van has two sons Eric and Mark and is a resident of Cross Creek on Cowden Road (seems like every family in Cross Creek has a road named after themselves like John Stolze on Stolze Road).

What Trivia do we know about Van? Van once raced his 1952 lime green Studebaker Champion on the back roads around Hickory. To teach Van a lesson, his father alerted the police to be on the lookout for the Studebaker. Much to his dad’s shagrin, poor old dad was pulled off and given a ticket after he had borrowed the car from Van. Some years later the old lime Studebaker Champion became the farm car and turned into a modified truck like the old El Caminos. Of great interest is that Van was a member of the Hickory Cross Country High School Team which won the State Championship in 1955. Quite an accomplishment for a school much smaller than its competition!!

High School: Hickory High School, Hickory, PA — 1957