REMEMBER WHEN?

50 Years Ago from the files of The Fayette County Record

Jan. 25-28, 1972

A hog cholera quarantine area was extended to include 55 South and Central Texas Counties, including Fayette, Colorado, Bastrop, Blanco, Caldwell, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Hays and Kendall. Texas Animal Health Commission officials in Austin cautioned that hogs could not be moved except to be slaughtered and warned that the disease could reach epidemic proportions if not contained rapidly.

A Houston motorist stopped at a local gas station and asked the attendant to investigate the strange noise he had been hearing all the way to La Grange. When the attendant popped the hood, a white cat that was shaking like a leaf sat atop the motor. The feline apparently was in deep shock after its 100-mile ride. Since the driver said it wasn’t his cat, the station operator found the anxious feline a local home where it was reported to be recovering nicely from its ordeal.

Flatonia attorney Dan Beck announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the office of Fayette County Attorney. Beck, a Fayette County native, was reared in the Cistern community and graduated from Flatonia High School. He received his BA degree in government from Southwest Texas University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Texas School of Law.

Members of the Fayette County Democratic executive committee and precinct chairs from 14 of the 25 county precincts were told that no further filing fees could be legally accepted. County DEC Chairman John C. Marburger of La Grange delivered the information at the annual organizational meeting held at the Lester Hotel.

Burglary of the Watzlavick Pharmacy in Schulenburg was solved, thanks to two alert ladies who resided nearby and jotted down the license number of a strange vehicle. Armed with that information, Sheriff T. J. Flournoy went to Austin where he found the vehicle and an 18-year-old youth who, after several hours of questioning, admitted to being one of four men involved in the break-in.

Plans were announced for a proposed new shopping center on the Alexander property at W. Crockett and S. Washington Sts., within a block of the Square in La Grange. The property had been purchased by Richard Cernosek and Lee Mueller Jr. from the Alexander estate. Architectural work for the project had been completed by Arthur Willrodt & Associates of Columbus. The property, which measured 247.5 feet along Washington St. and 166.65 feet along Crockett, contained a total of approximately 41,168 square feet. Plans called for approximately 12,800 feet to be incorporated in an L-shaped center with eight to 10 rental units. The rest of the site was to be utilized for customer parking and service alleys. The owners said the giant oak tree on the property would be preserved within the parking lot.

Several acres of a hay meadow in the Swiss Alp community burned in a morning fire before La Grange firemen arrived with the city’s booster truck and got the flames under control. The grass fire on the Otis Wagner place apparently started from a short in an electric fence. Although a residence and several outbuildings were threatened, firemen contained the blaze.

Funeral services were held for: Mrs. Augusta Goldammer, 87, of La Grange; Eddie Otto Sander, 80, of La Grange; Mrs. Mary Vasut, 79, of Fayetteville; Eddie Otto Sander, 80, of La Grange; Lancelot R. Neidig, 46, of Winedale; Hilton W. Garlin, 77, of Shelby; Vinc Dusek, 90, of Ammannsville; and Frank J. Stavinoha, 83, of Holman.

La Grange’s newest small industry, Consolidated Projects Inc., was planning an open house to show the public its new offices, design rooms, assembly plant and products. The company had done the interior work for The Bull Inc., the new western wear store in La Grange, and was working on the design and decor for Children’s World in the Galleria Shopping Mall in Houston.

Louis Bargas was elected “Boy of the Month” by members of the La Grange FFA. Also at the meeting, it was decided that the chapter should purchase an X25 camera for members’ use and a new pair of livestock clippers.

For the fourth consecutive year, Fayette Electric Cooperative announced that it would again sponsor the Government-in-Action Youth Tour to the nation’s capital. An oratorical contest was scheduled to select the winners. Interested young people at least 16 years old but not over 18 living in the area served by Fayette Electric were invited to contact J.C. Warhol at the cooperative’s office in La Grange to sign up.

On Sun., Jan. 30 at 4:30 p.m., chicken noodle soup was being served at the KJT Hall at Ammannsville. Cake, kolaches and coffee would be available at a social to follow at 6:30.

Relatives and friends of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Kelly of Muldoon surprised them with a housewarming on Saturday night. The couple received many useful gifts.

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