REMEMBER WHEN?

50 Years Ago

Sept. 4-11, 1970

An old, narrow wooden bridge over Beefhead Ditch on E. Pearl St. in La Grange was replaced with a new concrete structure. Informal ceremonies to officially open the new bridge were held by Mayor L.W. Stolz Jr., Mayor Protem K.A. Moellenberndt and other city council members, along with City Manager A.M. Citzler and the Rev. E.A. Randolph.

August was another bad month for traffic accidents with five more deaths recorded and a number of others injured, according to Fayette County Sheriff T.J. Flournoy. The death toll for the year stood at 20. Although none had contributed to the traffic death count, 20 DWI cases were filed in August.

After more than a year of discussion, La Grange City Council finally passed, by a 7-1 vote, General Telephone Company of the Southwest’s request for a rate increase. However, the change would not be effective until extended area service was available between La Grange and Fayetteville in a couple of years. The revised rate plan called for the cost of one-party business phones to increase from $11 to $12.34, one-party residence phones to go up from $6 to $6.40 and two-party residence phones to change from $5 to $5.40. A request from the telephone company for a new 35-year franchise was tabled for further study.

The total number of students enrolled in La Grange public schools stood at 1,475 on the second day of classes, according to Superintendent C.A. Lemmons. The 10th grade had the largest class with 155 students, while the ninth grade had 146. The elementary school had a total of 642 students and there were 548 in high school. Forty students from Giddings were enrolled in the La Grange Vocational High School.

The price of an extra half pint of milk at Hermes School Cafeteria went up from 5¢ to 10¢ because the special program operated through the Texas Education Agency had been discontinued.

The La Grange High School band was invited to attend the first Texas A&M University game being played on September 12 against Wichita State University on the new AstroTurf at Kyle Field.

Funeral services were held for: Mrs. F.G. Mertz, 76, a Fayette County native; Mrs. Adolph Zimmerhanzel, 73, of Cistern; H.C. Brahm of Winchester; Robert Marburger, 79, of Round Top; and Lee G. Covey Jr., 72, of La Grange.

Milton Joost ginned the first bale of 1970 cotton weighing 510 pounds at the Morgan Brothers Gin at Plum. As of mid-week, the Morgan gin had processed 39 bales. The prior year, Plum’s first bale was produced by Frank Machala.

The Rev. Sidney L. McCaig was appointed interim pastor at Travis Street United Methodist Church. He and his wife, both natives of Nebraska, were moving into the parsonage and expected to serve the La Grange congregation through January 1971.

Pastor Ronald G. Dybvig of Baltic, South Dakota, accepted the call to serve the Carmine Martin Lutheran Church. After graduating from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1969, Pastor Dybvig had spent the following year at Andover-Newton Seminary in Massachusetts.

Central Texas Republicans, including a number from Fayette County, attended a rally for U.S. Senator John Tower at Elgin. The GOP senator was unrelenting in his defense of the Nixon administration and endorsement of U.S. Representative George Bush for the post held by Ralph Yarborough.

Lone Star, the undefeated champion of the La Grange Ladies Softball League of 1970, suffered its first loss Sunday night at the fair when the All-Stars administered a 17-8 setback for the champs. The All-Stars had been chosen from the other four clubs in the league. The victors crashed out 19 base hits to achieve the triumph, while Lone Star collected only seven ticks off Jane Sulak, winning pitcher. Jill Gary was the mound loser. Leading the extra-base assault for the All-Stars were Jo Ann Karstedt with a triple and double, Carolyn Segura with two doubles, Helen Stanzel with a triple and Barbara Knippel and Linda Karstedt with a two-bagger apiece. Jill Gary and Becky Lobpries were the Lone Stars who collected bonus knocks, each getting a double.

Dr. August A.J. Watzlavick of Schulenburg posted a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who forcibly entered the Watzlavick Pharmacy and Watzlavick Clinic in Schulenburg on the morning of September 5, damaging property and removing cash and checks.

La Grange Motor Co. was introducing the Pinto, American’s answer to the foreign car invasion.

For more great stories, visit Elaine online at www.elainethomaswriter.com/blog/ or call her at 979-263-5031.