REMEMBER WHEN?
50 Years Ago
Sept. 8-15, 1970
Terry Lynn Dippel lost his battle for life at Brackenridge Hospital in Austin on September 13. The 14-year-old youth passed away 15 days after being critically injured in a traffic accident on a rainy Saturday night in La Grange. The mishap occurred August 29 at about 8:25 p.m. on N. Jefferson Street. Terry, the older son of Harvey H. and Anita Dippel, was born on May 10, 1956, at Cuero where his father was employed. The family later moved back to La Grange where Terry attended elementary and junior high school. He would have been a high school freshman in the 1970-71 term. Terry was very active in sports. Funeral services were conducted on September 15 by the Rev. Alvin A. Walter at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church with interment following in the La Grange City Cemetery. Besides his parents, Terry was survived by a brother, Ricky Dean, and his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Alton Dippel of La Grange, and Mrs. Alvin Schobel of Columbus. Terry’s death was the 21st in Fayette County that year, the second inside the city limits.
It was tape measure time at La Grange High School once again. Students and parents were riled up about a crackdown on the length of girls’ hemlines shorter than two inches above the knee. Classroom time was lost when teachers obeyed instructions to inspect hem lengths. About 50 girls were sent home with notes telling their parents that their daughters’ skirts were too short based on school rules. In retaliation, scores of girls went to classes Thursday and Friday wearing outlandish costumes, all well below the knee. Some wore their mothers or grandmothers’ dresses. Several were attired in skirts reaching their ankles and prim blouses, plus they wore their hair in buns. Others ripped out the hems of their current dresses and wore them sans hems, tape and all showing.
The La Grange Schroeder Drug Demons annexed a 10-9 seesaw victory over Schulenburg’s Merchants at Schulenburg Sunday afternoon to go up a slot in the South Central Texas Amateur League’s 1970 championship series. The Demons of big Les Blume were down 9-7 going into the top of the ninth inning, when they erupted from their third three-run rally of the free-scoring ball game. With one away, Danny Glaiser stroked a single to right. Bob Tiedt fanned for the second out. James Karstedt drew a walk and Steve Janda went into run for him. Rick Peters, who was winning pitcher in relief, followed with a single between first and second to load the bases.
The longest, largest and certainly the most colorful street parade ever to weave through La Grange’s downtown streets took place Saturday afternoon marking the 43rd annual Fayette County Fair. Between 6,000 and 8,000 people crowded the sidewalks to watch the hour-long extravaganza. The award for the best out-of-town float entry went to the Yorktown Chamber of Commerce with the Taylor Chamber of Commerce’s float chosen as second and the Ellinger Chamber of Commerce float winning third. The Warda ‘wagon’ had the most original float with Cuero coming in second and the Kiddie City Clowns of Austin nabbing third. In the junior category, Bishop Forest High School of Schulenburg won first with the Future Lions scoring second and Cub Scouts chosen as third. Among the hometown entries, Schatte Real Estate of Round Top and Giddings won first place with Fayette Electric Cooperative chosen as second and Catholic Daughters placing third.
The Fayette County Fair was honored Sunday by the presence of 15 young soldiers of the German Army who had arrived in Texas the day before. They were to spend two weeks training with the Texas National Guard at Camp Mabry in Austin. As a part of an exchange program, 15 National Guardsman from the 36th Infantry Brigade in San Antonio were spending two weeks training with the German Federal Republic Army.
In the first three days of the 43rd Fayette County Fair, approximately 17,500 guests filed through the gates. That included about 6,000 on Friday (Schulenburg and schoolchildren’s day), 7,000 on Saturday and 4,500 on Sunday. If the good weather continued, the final day of the fair could push overall attendance to a record 20,000.
A grand total of 187 entries were posted in the American Quarter Horse Association-approved show held in conjunction with the Fayette County Fair.
Fayette Countians contributed a total of $2,645.51 during the 1970 Cancer Crusade, plus another $143.50 in memorials. Mrs. Ray Kusy of Schulenburg made the largest single contribution with a gift of $864.21.
Fayette County was joining in the fight against one of the most feared killers and cripplers of unborn children, German measles, also called rubella. Miss Clara Roitsch was the Fayette County chapter chair of the National Foundation March of Dimes, sponsor of the German measles vaccination program. The Texas State Department of Health approved the countywide vaccinations and was to conduct the program.
Funeral services were held for: Mrs. Emma Tschiedel, 84, of Rutersville; Edward August Ahlrich, 87, a Fayette County native; Mrs. Ruth Flint Rauch, 49, of La Grange; Otto Althaus, 87, of Carmine; and Mrs. Tillie Zettel, 66, of Nelsonville.
Fayette County residents were invited to attend a Texas hamburger supper and meet George Bush, the candidate for U.S. Senate, at Fireman’s Park in Brenham on Wednesday, Sept. 9 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Brasher Motor Co. of La Grange, Weimar and Schulenburg announced that on Thursday, Sept. 10 the 1971 Chevrolet Vega, “the little car that does everything well,” would be on display in its showrooms.
At Meiners Motor Co., a new addition to the Dodge compact line for 1971 was the 108-inchwheelbase Demon, which combined economy and sporty looks. Engines ranged from a 198-cubic-inch slant six to the 340 V8. Among the long list of options was a cassette stereo tape player and recorder.
Fayette County Sheriff’s Department officers and an Austin fingerprint expert were investigating the break-in at the Dr. August J.A. Watzlavick Pharmacy in Schulenburg. Efforts to remove a large safe proved futile when it got stuck in the doorway.
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