A white sign with the message “MISSING” stands in the yard of Lawrence residents Ralph and Donna Gelvin.

It’s a written notice to neighbors along the 2600 block of West 30th Street that the couple’s well-known piece of yard art is gone. A 90-pound ceramic goose, known to the neighborhood for its constantly changing attire, has been missing since Sept. 3.

“I just couldn’t believe it,” Donna Gelvin said. “I had hoped she would be brought back.”

Some may shrug their shoulders at the loss of a piece of yard art. But the Gelvins’ goose – known as Henrietta – was different.

“It was like our neighborhood mascot and now it’s gone,” neighbor and Lawrence High School student Dane Hill said of the goose. “I mean, some jerk stole her (Donna Gelvin’s) goose and that was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen that’s, like, a decoration outside.”

Donna Gelvin, Lawrence, puts some clothes on A ceramic goose in her living room recently. The goose is a replacement for Henrietta, a ceramic goose which was reportedly stolen from her front yard earlier this month.

Neighbors and people passing through the neighborhood had become accustomed to gawking at the goose because every morning Donna Gelvin would dress it in a new outfit. If it was raining, she put a raincoat on it. On Thanksgiving, Henrietta the goose was dressed in a pilgrim’s outfit. The goose had several outfits, including a wedding dress, an angel costume and a basketball player uniform.

The goose was taken on a Kansas University football game day and had been dressed in a football helmet and KU sweatshirt until about 11 p.m., when Donna Gelvin undressed the goose – part of her daily ritual.

“Most of the clothes are seasonal,” Donna Gelvin said. She’s been dressing the goose for more than 15 years. The number of specially-made outfits have increased to the point that it takes three boxes to hold the clothes and one box to hold the hats.

“It’s just fun and it’s something people seem to enjoy,” Donna Gelvin said. “So, it saddens me that this has happened. I just see it as something positive that brightens people’s day.”

She said people have sent cards, letters and, one year, an Easter basket to the goose.

• 6News video: Lawrence couple searching for missing goose (09-19-05)

Donna Gelvin said she still hopes someone returns the goose. In the meantime, her daughter loaned out the goose from her yard in McPherson. But it won’t be going outside at the Gelvin house until there’s a good way to secure it.

The goose thief – or thieves – had to know what they were doing, Donna Gelvin said. The couple had put a wire on the goose connected to a large piece of limestone in the yard.

“The wire was cut,” Donna Gelvin said.