Remember When?

Sept. 22-29, 1972 A middle-aged farmer, who lived several miles south of La Grange on the Flatonia farm-tomarket road, lost $1,442 in cash to three con artists in the age-old Three Card Monte game. Because the incident wasn’t reported to the sheriff’s department until several hours after it occurred, a search for the perpetrators proved futile. In other old news, another session to discuss future ambulance service in Fayette County was held in the district courtroom. G.A. Koenig of Koenig Funeral Home summed up why funeral homes were getting out of the business: stiffer government regulations, labor problems, losses on service and interference with the funeral business. After two hours of discussion, nothing was settled, but several avenues were to be explored. First, county and city officials consented to try and woo the hospitals into taking over the ambulance dispatch service with possible subsidy assistance from the county and cities. Second, the operator of the private ambulance service in Giddings expressed willingness to consider setting up a similar program in La Grange on a subsidized basis. A Texas Department of Health representative provided statistics on the number of cities where hospitals, for the most part, had successfully assumed subsidized ambulance service operations.

Lovebugs didn’t bite or eat crops, but they were plastering themselves all over auto windshields and radiator grills, impairing road vision and causing motors to overheat. Fayette County’s dry summers usually prevented lovebugs from surviving in great numbers. However, summer rains had provided good feeding conditions, according to county agent Clinton Bippert. Mrs. Nettie Mae Freudenburg of La Grange was one of six extension agents in Texas to win a 1972 Distinguished Service Award. She was to receive the highest honor given by the National Association of Extension Home Economics at a national convention in Denver, Colorado. The 1973 dues for Veterans of Foreign Wars members were increasing from $5.50 to $6.

A $253,580 operating budget for the 1972-73 fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 was presented to the La Grange City Council for study. By comparison, the expenditure projection ending on Sept. 30 was $226,045. The increase was primarily due to inflation.

Fayette County’s four remaining gins had turned out a total of 1,208 bales as of the previous Saturday. Kasper-Michalk in La Grange had ginned 850; Morgan Gin at Plum, 209; Farmers Co-op Gin at Schulenburg, 145; and Lee Walla Gin at Ellinger, four. The Ellinger gin had suspended its ginning operations early in the season due to the inability to hire qualified labor.

The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, cited a La Grange native, Charley Michalk Jr., for heroism. Charley, who helped to rescue 15 men from a burning oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, was a passenger on a sport fishing craft about one-half mile away when a tank of crude oil exploded on the rig, sending flames 150 feet in the air. Burning oil poured off three sides of the platform into the water. While the captain maneuvered the boat to the rig, Charley exhibited great courage and determination to pull the men safely aboard. Following a more or less listless first quarter, the La Grange Leopards exploded for four touchdowns in a matter of seven minutes in the second stanza to defeat Weimar, 36-12. The victory upped the District 13-3A Leps’ record to 2-1, while Weimar stood at 1-2. David Zatopek, the 175-pound signal caller, scored three of the five La Grange six-pointers and passed for another. Halfback Buddy Grobe, the night’s leading ball carrier, posted the other on a beautiful piece of broken field running – a 59-yard gallop. Edward Hardy and Sammy Scott were in on 10 tackles apiece to lead Leopard defenders, while rover Eddie Oppermann figured in eight. Grobe was La Grange’s leading ball carrier, posting 104 yards on nine carries. Fullback Jim Quinn amassed 77 of 13 totes, Zatopek 34 on eight and Larry Hatfield 29 on two.

Jerry Krebs, a senior at Fayetteville High School, was elected president of District IV, Area III, FFA Association at a district meeting in Hallettsville.

Martin Schuetze, a former Lincoln teacher who had moved to La Grange, was named public education chairman of the American Cancer Society, Fayette County unit. He and his wife were both added to the board of directors. Mr. Schuetze reported on the American Cancer Society’s fishing well at the Fayette County Fair. A total of 221 people registered, picked up educational materials and donated $13.36. Funeral services were held for: Gus W. Weeren, 89, of Burton; Herbert Dallmeyer, 75, of La Grange and Burton; George J. Adamcik, 72, a native of Holman; Raymond J. Trlicek, 72, of La Grange; John K. Cernoch, 70 of La Grange; Ola Mae Laufer, 83, of Muldoon; and Mrs. Aurelius C. (Mable) Lenert, 60, of La Grange.

Henry C. (Hank) Paine of La Grange was chosen head yell leader at Texas A&M University for 1972-73. Donnie Dippel received the Joe Frizell Scholarship at Sam Houston State University. It was awarded to an ag major each semester based on character, grade point average and need. Donnie was also elected president of Delta TouAlpha, the university’s ag honor society.

Frances Collette Stastny, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Stastny of Fayetteville, received a letter of commendation for her outstanding performance on the 1971 Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

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