Remember When?
1976: Chip & Egg Contestants Break ‘Em Up
August 3-6, 1976
The Schulenburg Young Farmers’ cow chip and egg throwing contest at the Schulenburg Festival ended with a lot of broken chips and splattered eggs. The grand champion chip thrower was Danny Neiser in the 12 to 18 age group. Others placing in the chip contest were: Gene Mikulik, Jim Williams, Ross Cummings and David Houston; Harvey Florianic, Douglas Baisden, Phil Schaefer, Ronnie McBride and Max Patton, 12 to 16 age bracket; Dan Odell, Douglas Miller and Margie Mullinex, over 55. Grand champions of the egg throwing contest were Derrl Ohnheiser and Roland Kalina.
Albert and Leo Ernestes of Freyburg had the grand champion bale at the hay show held in conjunction with the Schulenburg Festival.
Staff writer George Carmack reported in the San Antonio Express-News, “If you go to La Grange, you will come away remembering its great oak trees and forever be touched by a Texas shrine atop a nearby hill. La Grange loves its trees. Fine old oaks spread their shade from curb to curb. They were left standing in the street when the street was widened. Traffic just flows around them. And on the Courthouse Square stands the Muster Oak. Its years are many. To save it, its hollow has been filled with concrete until its trunk is more concrete than ancient oak.”
La Grange native Dr. Helen Cronenberger had been selected to direct the first integrated medical technology program in Texas offered by UTSA and the University of Texas Health Center in San Antonio. The new course was designed to provide students with hospital exposure and experience throughout their four years of college.
Deborah Susan Chovanec graduated from a two-year medical technology program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Andrew Srubar of the La Grange FFA chapter received the Lone Star Farmer degree, the highest recognition given by the Texas Future Farmers of America, at the 48th annual Texas FFA convention in Dallas.
At the La Grange volunteer firemen’s annual ladies night, certificates were pre-sented to 41 members who had attained registered fireman status. The honorees had completed a minimum of five years of service prior to adoption of a new ruling on Jan. 1, 1975, by the Texas Fire Insurance Commission. After that date, a firefighter had to complete 160 hours of rigorous training in 21 different categories to be certified. The department’s veteran was A.H. Spacek, a member since 1926. Next in line was C.V. Creuzbaur, who joined the fire department in 1927. Stanley Webb, a member since 1930, had the third longest service record.
Earning honors for the spring semester at Texas Lutheran College at Seguin were La Grange students La Neal Eschenberger and William and Neal Miller.
According to the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, beef supplies were more plentiful and prices were trending down compared to the prior year. Featured most often were chuck roasts, steaks, round steaks and liver.
Those who recalled the area of the fairgrounds where the La Grange Softball Association played would remember that it was an unusable swamp after every heavy rain. Thanks to around 350 loads of fill dirt, the new softball field was a reality. The initial meeting to discuss building the field took place in 1975, with actual construction beginning in February 1976. By May, the fields were dry enough to permit play. The field still needed outer fencing, permanent bleachers and lights. The field was constructed by the La Grange Softball Association for the City of La Grange and was owned solely by the city.
Seven people were honored for their service by the City of La Grange: Onie Dippel, 30 years; Edwin Kulhanek, 30 years; William Futschik, 30 years; Councilman Leroy W. Riehs, 20 years; Anton Luecke, 15 years; Miss Frances Wied, 10 years; and Mrs. Violet Zbranek, five years.
Present at the Sunday dedication of Fayetteville’s new post office were Father Ben Mazurkiewicz, postmaster L.M. Chovanec, Austin-based post office sectional center manager E.G. Vorwerk and Fayetteville mayor William Graeter.
Funeral services were held for: Edwin Joe Bushek, 74, who was buried in La Grange; Mrs. Vera Hoffmann of West Berlin, Germany, who was buried in La Grange; Mrs. Laura Heinze, 75, a longtime resident of the Park community;.
E.W. Meiners of Meiners Motor Company in La Grange received the 1975 Distinguished Dealer Award from Chrysler Corp. Mr. Meiners was one of five dealers in Texas and 22 across the nation to be honored.
Seven Fayette County students were on the Blinn College Honor Roll for the first semester of summer school. This included: Kay E. Davis, Marilyn J. Kallus, Gale E. Minzenmeyer and David J. Zapalac from La Grange; Kathy E. Geraghty and Mary E. Heimsath of Fayetteville; and Linda Voelkel from Round Top.
Four Fayette Memorial Hospital Auxiliary junior volunteers presented with 100hour pins were: Laurie Smith, Linda Hrncir, Donna McDaniel and Karen Scherty.
If you’d like to reach Elaine, please email her at callacomm@ hotmail.com. You can also visit her website: www. elainethomaswriter.com.
Below are ads from 1976