1976: Farm Bureau Buys a Home

June 4-8, 1976

President Elmo Minzenmeyer announced the Fayette County Farm Bureau had moved to a building purchased from Lloyd Frierson at 411 E. Colorado, La Grange. It was formerly the home of Schulze Studio.

The screwworm situation in Texas was worse than in the landmark year of 1972. Officials from the big insectary under construction in southern Mexico at Tuxtla Gutiérrez said they expected to start dropping flies on a limited scale sometime in August. The Tuxtla flies would join those produced at Mission, Texas, in the ongoing 15-year effort to free northern Mexico and the U.S. from this livestock scourge. The cleanup was to begin on Baja, Calif., because its 750-mile length from Mexicali to San Lucas at its southernmost point was virtually infested.

Pet owners needed to know that dogs and cats could also get screwworms through small, broken skin areas. Wounds or raw places needed to be treated immediately, and all screwworm larvae removed.

A free blood pressure clinic for all ages sponsored by the Heart Association was scheduled for June 16 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the La Grange State Bank community room. The test was not meant to replace seeing a medical doctor, but rather indicate if there was a need to do so in the near future.

Alvin Holstien defeated S.H. (Shep) Werlein to win the Fayette County Precinct 3 commissioner nomination. Bob Krejci won the constable’s post in that precinct’s Saturday runoff election.

Building construction within the La Grange city limits jumped to $607,030 for the first five months of 1976, with a second permit for apartment housing units helping bolster the total. The most recent apartment permit of $100,000 was issued to James A. Muncey Jr. The largest apartment construction permit of $152,000 was from earlier in the year for the Dopslauf apartments. Several other permits adding to the total were: O.T. Gentry, N. Monroe St., wood fence, $2,200; Richard Barton Jr., S. Franklin, wood fence, $1,400; Werner Koopmann, Upper Line, remodel home and carport, $2,000; Leon Heintschel, E. Lafayette, room addition, $1,500; Miss Josephine Bar-tling, North Line, garage and breezeway, $2,740; and Ben Zapalac, N. Monroe, kitchen remodeling, $4,000.

Fayetteville Country Market was celebrating its grand opening on Saturday and Sunday, June 5 and 6. Located on Hwy. 159, just east of the Square in Fayetteville, the business would be open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m., offering antiques, farm produce, rummage sales, arts and handicrafts, business products, flea market, novelties, house plants, barbecue, cold drinks and beer, plus serve as the hub of area activities.

Cousins Sheila Jacob and Tina Jacob were named co-editors of the 1976-77 Round Top-Carmine publications, according to their journalism teacher Tony Buban.

The descendants of Georg Carl Willrich gathered in the American Legion Hall for their first family reunion. One hundred and thirty-nine registered and enjoyed the barbecue dinner catered by Harry & Lynn. A family tree beginning in 1565 was on exhibit, together with pictures and copies of Georg Carl Willrich’s petition for naturalization and the order granting it. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1846, together with his two eldest sons, due to political persecutions in the Kingdom of Hanover, Germany.

James Vincent Liska, the son of Mr. and Mrs. V.E. Liska of La Grange, received a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Rice University.

Mrs. Johnny Dunham of Alvin, the former Becky Sanders of Carmine, graduated with anAssociate inApplied Sciences degree in nursing from Alvin Community College.

Funeral services were held for: Mrs. Mary Alice von Rosenberg, 55, of La Grange; Ludvig V. Pecha, 70, of La Grange; Lee Roy Markwardt, 58, of Round Top; John S. Schill, 60, of Fayetteville and Houston; Miss Ruby Moeller, a native of Fayetteville; Joe John Hajovsky, 52, a native of Holman; Thomas Edward Nite, 72, a native of the Stellar community in Fayette County; Ronald (Ronnie) Garway Taylor, 22, a native of La Grange; and Miss Ruby A. Moeller, a native of Fayetteville.

In ladies’ softball, First National outslugged Karstedt Feeds, 11-9. Genevia Faison was the winning pitcher and Wanda Wessels the loser. Patricia Grant had two singles for the winners. Karstedt had three strong hitters: Wessels, a homer and two singles, and Judy Stolle and Tammy Wunderlich, two singles each.

The Cardinals downed the Dodgers, 11-1, and the Yankees moved out the Giants, 4-3, in a regular La Grange Little League twin bill. Bernard Munsch got the hill win for the Redbirds in the opener and Darryl Nitschke was charged with the loss. Munsch permitted three hits, fanned five and walked three, while Nitschke also was touched for only three base knocks, struck two and free-passed four.

If you’d like to reach Elaine, please email her at callacomm@ hotmail.com. You can also visit her website: www. elainethomaswriter.com.