Remember When?

1976: Richard Barton Buys Publishing Interest in Fayette County Record

March 2-5, 1976

Richard L. (Dick) Barton of Rosenberg purchased the majority interest in Fayette Publishing Co. from Mr. and Mrs. Bonner McMillion, publishers of The Fayette County Record. Mr. Barton and his family had purchased a home in Bluff Haven and planned to move to La Grange shortly. Mr. Barton intended to take over the positions of president and publisher before April 1. Mr. Barton’s son, Dickie, would be associated with the business, as would his wife, Nonnie. They had also purchased a home in La Grange, moving here from Deer Park. Don Hengst, who was a stockholder in Fayette Publishing Co., would remain in his position as production manager.

Ben Bloomer, the head football coach and athletic director at La Grange High School, resigned to accept the position of head football coach and athletic coordinator at Spring Woods High School in the Spring Branch ISD, adjoining Houston. Assistant coach Wayne Atkinson also resigned to accompany Bloomer to his new school.

A five-room frame house in the Prairie Valley area was destroyed by fire early Saturday morning, but the outbuildings were saved. The La Grange fire department got the call at 3 a.m. When they arrived at the scene, the former Willie Wessels’home was engulfed in flames. The house was owned by Houston people who did not reside there.

Silence had settled over the John Whatley ranch near Bastrop as hope for the missing couple faded. After four weeks, officers and searchers still had little to go on in the area from which Mr. and Mrs. John Whatley disappeared sometime during the week of Jan. 26. When scuba divers dragged the river bordering the Whatley ranch on the east, carefully searching the deeper holes, they produced no results. Every inch of the ranchlands and the house belonging to the multi-millionaire had been checked and rechecked because frustrated lawmen insisted there must be some small lead somewhere that could help them determine what had happened to the couple.

More than 50 people at-tended a meeting at La Grange City Hall to discuss plans for the Bicentennial Fair – the successor to last year’s Square Fair – to be held at the fairgrounds at the end of May. The German-Czech Mart planned to be open, Wimpy’s Fun Shows had already been booked and the Home Demonstration Club staffers would operate their kitchen on a part-time basis. The newly organized Daughters of the American Revolution chapter planned to hold a house tour during the festive weekend. The two-day Memorial Day weekend event was to get underway with a downtown street parade.

U.S. Senator Lloyd M. Bentsen, a candidate for reelection, was visiting La Grange to meet with his friends and supporters. The junior senator from Texas and Mrs. Bentsen planned to be at La Grange City Hall at 10 a.m. on March 9, where kolaches and coffee would be served.

The Junior Historians of La Grange High School were honoring Texas Heroes on Friday afternoon by placing wreaths on the Square and also at the tomb in Monument Hill State Park.

Lifelong Fayette County resident Max Rother was honored with a 90th birthday party on Feb. 8 at Mrs. Wunderlich’s Boarding House where he lived.

A second senior high school student from Fayette County had advanced to the finalist standing in the 1976 Merit Scholarship competition. Catherine Heimsath, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clovis Heimsath, planned to attend Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania after graduating from Fayetteville High School.

The Tri-County Bookmobile had become the Fayette County Bookmobile, a single county project that would operate every two weeks on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Leon Hunger was given the title of librarian-driver.

Mr. and Mrs. Herbert F. Lange were honored by their children, John and Jo.

Ann McCrory and Robert and Helen Frey, and their grandchildren Dean and Julie Frey, and Steve Frey. Herbert Lane and Miss Elenora Hilsher were married in Warrenton on Feb. 24, 1936. Mr. Lange had been employed by Brasher Motor Co. for 36 years.

Funeral services were held for: Oscar W. Albrecht, 84, of Willow Springs; Gary Robert Kainer, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. William Kainer; Albert J. Helweg, 93, of Fayetteville; Mrs. Ella Hausmann, 81, of La Grange; and Melvin Toll, 56, of La Grange.

The Sacred Heart Altar Society met to discuss the 25th anniversary of the Rev. Harry Mazurkiewicz. Mrs. J.V. Kana reported that the preliminary plan was to hold a public reception honoring Father Harry, who was ordained into the priesthood on May 26, 1951. A Mass would be celebrated at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 23, followed by a reception in the school auditorium and cafeteria.

Fayette County Commissioners authorized County Attorney Dan Beck to determine the legality of offering rewards for reporting violations that led to convictions for destruction or defacing public property.

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