REMEMBER WHEN?

50 Years Ago

Dec. 24-31, 1971

Electric high line copper wire thefts had started again in Fayette County. Sheriff’s officers reported that approximately 25,000 feet had been removed from Fayette Electric Cooperative’s lines in the northern part of the county. One area was west of Ledbetter toward the Bell Settlement community. The other location was along the Old Round Top Road from Hwy. 290 east to Ledbetter.

Burglars who broke into Nickerson Farms on I-10 between Schulenburg and Weimar made off with four or five cartons of cigarettes and $24.80 in change from a cigarette machine. The Fayette County Sheriff Department said entry into the store was gained by breaking a window in the women’s restroom.

With three days to go before the end of 1972, 11 deaths had been recorded on Fayette County roads.

According to the Texas State Comptroller’s office, La Grange received more than $18,000 from the 1% city sales tax for the third quarter of 1971. The $18,299 check was about $1,200 less than the city had received for the prior quarter and $250 less than La Grange had received for the corresponding period in 1970.

William F. Hofmann, president of Fayette Memorial Hospital, announced that John F. Svoboda had resigned as administrator effective Jan. 1 to accept a similar job at a New Braunfels hospital. William H. Conder, who had experience in hospital administration in New Mexico and West Texas, was to replace Mr. Svoboda.

Frank J. Willmann of La Grange had the grand champion shelling pecan entry at the annual Bastrop County Pecan Show. His prize-winning Evans variety weighed 62.2 nuts to the pound and had a 56.7% kernel content. Two other Fayette County pecan men, Leonard Baca and Charlie Hajovsky, also showed winners.

Christmas Day dances were set for Swiss Alp featuring The Velvets, the Deanville Hall where Krystal Blue was providing the music and the Ellinger C of C Hall where Lee Roy Matocha was playing. At the Carmine Hall, The Hi-Notes were being featured and Blume’s Orchestra was providing music at the American Legion Hall in La Grange.

Mr. and Mrs. Harold Imken celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on Sat., Nov. 27 at the Sokol Hall in Houston. About 200 friends and relatives joined them for dinner.

At a festive open house Wednesday evening at their home, Superintendent and Mrs. C.A. Lemmons welcomed La Grange Independent School District personnel and their spouses. Mr. and Mrs. L.A. Jalufka served as cohosts.

U.S. Army Private Vernon J. Berger, 23, the son of Mr. and Mrs. H.E. Berger of Schulenburg, completed eight weeks of basic training at the U.S. Army Training Center, Armor, at Fort Knox, Tennessee. Private Berger, a 1966 graduate of Bishop Forest High School, received a BFA degree in 1971 from the University of Houston.

James Liska, the La Grange Leopard’s 210-pound senior lineman, was named to a linebacker slot on The Austin American-Statesman’s All-Central Texas AAA football team.

Funeral services were held for: Ernest W. Seidel, 55, of La Grange; Edmond Milton Bohot, 47, a former La Grange resident; Rt. Rev. Msgr. A. W. Nesvadba, 75, KJT Supreme Chaplain; Emil F. Vrazel, 56, of Austin; Arno Liebscher, 84, formerly of Round Top; Mrs. Frances Slovak, 90, of Industry; Anton Kocurek, 79, of Fayetteville; and Fritz W. (Fred) Ermis, 66, of Ellinger.

Fifteen Blinn College vocational nursing students graduated as Licensed Vocational Nurses in September. One of the top three students was Mrs. Paula Steinhauser of La Grange, an employee of Fayette Memorial Hospital.

Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Kruppa celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary beginning with Mass said for intentional at 11 o’clock at Holy Rosary Catholic Church at Hostyn. The Rev. Edward J. Jansky of Ines, who married the couple, was the celebrant of the Mass and gave the anniversary blessing. Miss Cecelia Kallus, the daughter of Robert F. Kallus of Hostyn and the late Mrs. Kallus, and Edwin Kruppa, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Kruppa of Hostyn, were married at Hostyn on Feb. 4, 1946. The couple, who had lived in the Hostyn community all their married life, had been blessed with seven children.

Mr. and Mrs. Wilbert A. Jaster observed their 30th wedding anniversary with an open house on Christmas Day at their home in La Grange. Approximately 300 guests called during the appointed hours. Miss Genelda Koenig and Wilbert Jaster were married on Dec. 25, 1941, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in La Grange by the late Rev. Robert Heise.

Mr. and Mrs. Emil A. Kovar celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on Dec. 26 with a Mass officiated by the Rev. Rudolph Hoffmann, at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Plum.

New Year’s Eve dances on the calendar were: Bennie Prause & His Orchestra of Cuero at the Legion Hall in Columbus; Die Grosse Kapell of New Braunfels at Harmonia Hall in Shelby; The Hi-Notes at the Round Top Rifle Association Hall; and the Harold Ilse Orchestra at the Ellinger C of C Hall.

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