REMEMBER WHEN?

50 Years Ago frpm the files of The Fayette County Record

A westbound M-K-T freight train engine hit an elderly La Grange woman at the Washington St. crossing. Mrs. Minnie Ulbrich was reported to have been walking south on the west side of the street when she was struck by the lead engine’s bumper and thrown onto Lafayette St. She had just moved from an apartment on N. Washington to Mrs. Louise Schafer’s apartment on S. Jefferson. Mrs. Ulbrich was admitted to the emergency room at Fayette Memorial Hospital.

Dr. John C. Guenther, a widely known and respected La Grange physician and surgeon, passed away of an apparent heart attack while on a deer hunt on the Triple R Ranch south of Burnet on Thursday morning. He was 70. Dr. Guenther, who had gone to the ranch Wednesday night with a fellow hunter, was on his deer stand when he became ill. A jeep was summoned and Dr. Guenther was transported back to his cabin where he died shortly thereafter.

The new manse for First Presbyterian Church in La Grange was to replace a building donated to the church in 1935 by the late Mrs. Lad Vanek. That house had served as the homestead for Mrs. Vanek’s family. The new manse, the second owned by the local Presbyterian Church, which was organized in 1848, was to have a brick veneer and shake roof to match the church. The general contractor was Weldon Scholtz. The design called for three bedrooms, as well as a pastor’s study and a two-car garage, etc. The Rev. Frank McElroy was the Presbyterian minister in La Grange at the time.

Fayette County was represented by 11 delegates at the 38th annual convention of the Texas Farm Bureau in Amarillo. They were: Mr. and Mrs. Anton Tietjen Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Elmo Witt, Mr. and Mrs. William Coleman, Mr. and Mrs. William E. Meyer, Leo Heller, Chas. Janecka and E. H. Keilers. Service agent Bill Seale attended as a visitor. Some 2,000 Farm Bureau leaders from across the state were at the meeting.

Fayette County Farm Bureau President Anton Tietjen Jr. of Rutersville accepted an award for the local group’s second place win among Farm Bureaus with 800 or more members for promoting a better understanding of the organization’s objectives at the state convention.

La Grange High School’s football program did not break even in 1970 and gate receipts for 1971 were $1,638.41 less than the previous year. Superintendent C.A. Lemmons presented figures at the school board meeting showing receipts of $6,621.73 for the 10 games in 1970 and $4,983.32 for the same 10 games in 1971. The Hearne and A&M Consolidated games brought in more revenue than the previous year, although La Grange’s share of receipts for the Elmore game was only $193.50. Two of La Grange’s biggest high school football expenses were equipment and hiring game officials.

Funeral services were held for: Helmar B. Hoppe, 84, of New Ulm; Arvie Kingery, 75, of Fayetteville; Mrs. Frank Warren of Muldoon; Charles M. Wern, 79, of La Grange; Mrs. Wilhelmine Oppermann, 94, of La Grange; and William Wolff, 91, of La Grange.

About 40 lads turned out to play basketball at La Grange High School. Six lettermen from the 1970 squad and three newcomers made up the varsity squad under head coach Richard (Ricky) Peters. Two more young men were vying for what was to be a 10-member team. The returning lettermen were: seniors Leslie Behrens, Gary Minzenmeyer and Kenneth Ripper, and juniors David Zatopek, Billy Miller and Tim Sulak. The trio seeking berths were Buddy Grobe, Clarence Svoboda and Ron Stephenson.

Mr. and Mrs. Joe Pampell, who were married Nov. 14, 1911, by the Rev. F.W. Siebelitz at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Winchester, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Pastor A. Brand held the anniversary service at the Nov. 13 celebration at the Winchester Community Hall before the meal was served. The Pampell’s had four children: Milton Pampell of Winchester, Wilbert Pampell of Houston, Mrs. Minnie Toppel of La Grange and Mrs. Sidonio Meador of Rockport.

Mr. and Mrs. Gust Peters of La Grange were feted on their 50th anniversary at a celebration in the La Grange State Bank Community Room by their brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews. The couple was married on Nov. 16, 1921, at the Round Top Church in the community where they had lived all their lives.

Mr. and Mrs. Harry Lueders celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Sunday, Nov. 14 at the Woodman of the World Hall in Muldoon. Married on Nov. 6, 1921, near Muldoon, the couple had lived in that community all their married lives.

Melba Wickel was elected FFA sweetheart by the members of the Round Top-Carmine FFA Chapter. A senior at Round Top-Carmine High School, Melba was a cheerleader and secretary of the senior class, as well as a member of the FHA, pep club, Luther League and Martin Luther Church in Carmine.

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