Young or old, the community of Jackson County has a lot of memories that surround long-running ice cream shop Kovener’s Korner.
Seventy-five years worth of memories, in fact.
Mayor Matt Nicholson said one of the many favorite memories he has about Kovener’s Korner involves taking his kids on many ice cream trips during the summer.
“I remember when we bought a Jeep, and of course, the first thing you do with a Jeep in the summertime is take the top down and the doors off,” he said. “That day concluded with a stop at Kovener’s, where I’m sure the girls spilled ice cream in the brand-new Jeep, but it’s days like those you will never forget.”
The Kovener family was in attendance during an event Saturday at the ice cream shop to not only celebrate 75 years of business but 75 years of memories with the community that has supported them along the way.
“It has never been a business that profits off of cost,” co-owner Gary Kovener said. “It has always been a part of the community. We took pride in that.”
As Kovener gave some remarks to the community for years of support, he also shared some of his memories surrounding the ice cream shop.
Kovener was born in the house directly behind the store at 712 W. Second St. and said for the first six years of his life, he had ice cream every night in the summertime.
Bill and Lena Faye Kovener opened the small soft-serve ice cream shop for the first time in 1949.
Before that, the shop had been built as a three-pump Standard Oil gasoline station. With the relocation of what was then State Road 50 into a city street in the early 1930s, it was converted into a convenience store.
During this time, Bill and Lena Faye were traveling the country before returning home to start one of Seymour’s very first drive-in restaurants.
Gary said one of the things he remembers about the store in the 1950s is that you could buy ice cream there but also cigarettes.
Co-owner Richard Kovener also shared some memories over the years and thanked the community for coming to celebrate.
“In 1949, our mom took a chance on this small building while raising kids and taking care of her elderly mother,” Richard said. “After hearing about these machines that make ice cream and buying a used one, the first day they opened, the machine caught on fire. However, she didn’t give up.”
Both Gary and Richard said their parents would be overwhelmed by the amount of support if they were able to be there for the 75th anniversary.
The festivities continued throughout the day around the store, as there was a silent auction, free kids activities with coloring pages and an inflatable obstacle course, cornhole games, ice cream eating contests and social interaction.
While Kovener’s Korner is best known for its signature chocolate malt soft-serve ice cream, which is still a handwritten recipe on a piece of paper by Lena Faye from back in the day, many locals enjoy other types of tasty treats.
Nicholson said he is a fan of rocky road ice cream and enjoys just about anything that can be made with rocky road.
Erna Ahlemeyer, who was born in 1932, has only been to Kovener’s Korner twice in her lifetime but said she can’t resist a hot fudge sundae.
Another Seymour resident, Jim Plump, has been coming to Kovener’s Korner for more than 40 years and enjoys the soft twist and said he also enjoys a community tradition. He said whenever he comes home from traveling, Kovener’s Korner is always a stop on the list.
Marvin Veatch has enjoyed Kovener’s Korner for 21 years and said the ice cream shop has been a treasure of Seymour for many years.
The Kovener family invited many esteemed guests to speak on behalf of the long-running ice cream store. Representatives of U.S. Sen. Todd Young and Indiana State Sen. Eric Koch gave their remarks, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb sent a letter of congrats and Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales gave his congratulations to the Kovener family.
“Let me point out something that Kovener’s Korner isn’t just serving ice cream. It’s serving up traditions,” he said.
Morales said part of his job is to encourage and attract more investment, and he thanked Kovener’s Korner for its investment in the state.
“Your business has been doing this for the past 75 years, and I cannot wait to see what will happen for the next 75 more,” he said.
Nicholson also gave a proclamation declaring June 17 Kovener’s Korner Day.
“Everybody has a fond memory of Kovener’s Korner,” he said. “Whether it’s showing up for the ball team after a game that you won yourself or showing up with your kid’s ball team 20 years later, it’s always fun to call Kovener’s the place to stop afterwards.”
Nicholson said Kovener’s Korner has become a favorite summertime tradition for many residents and has employed more than 200 people with the majority being high school and college students.
It also is believed that at least two couples have met at Kovener’s Korner and are now married to this day.
“I think if Lena Faye and Bill were here today, I think they would be so happy to see how much it has impacted the community,” CEO Nick Kovener said.
As the evening finished with families enjoying music by Steve Deweese, new memories were made just as soft and sweet as the ice cream.