Remember When

1973: Crank Calls Causing Headaches

Fayette County Sheriff T.J. (Jim) Flournoy announced on Monday morning that he and his department were going to crack down on the increasing number of anonymous telephone calls requesting an ambulance be dispatched. A total of five such calls were received on Sunday. One call for an ambulance and fire truck asked they be sent to the Southern Pacific crossing on Hwy. 95 just north of Flatonia. An ambulance, fire truck and highway patrol car rushed to the location, but found nothing amiss when they arrived. “We’re going to make every effort to find out who is making these calls, and, when we do, we are going to prosecute them,” the sheriff said. In the future, the only collect calls for an ambulance that would to be accepted would require the caller to give his or her name and the number from which he or she was calling.

A well-known La Grange man was killed and another local person seriously injured in a freak three-vehicle accident west of Waelder on I-10 about 2:45 p.m. Thursday. Edmund Joe Svrcek, 50, of La Grange, a driver-salesman for Wilbert A. Jaster’s Pearl Beer Distributing Company, had a flat tire on his company truck. After he called back to La Grange, La Grange Tire Center serviceman Charles Novak, 42, was dispatched to help him. Mr. Novak parked his pickup behind the beer truck that had pulled over to the shoulder of the interstate. When a pickup pulling a camper trailer came upon the parked vehicles, it veered out of its lane and onto the shoulder, striking Mr. Svrcek and crushing Mr. Novak under the truck. Tragically, Mr. Svrcek and the driver of the third vehicle from Galena Park, Texas, were pronounced dead at the scene. Mr. Novak was placed in intensive care at an Austin hospital.

Fayette County commissioners accepted a bid for two new automobiles. La Grange Motor Company stated it would furnish two 1973 Ford Galaxie 500 four-door sedans for $6,364.50 with two used units to be taken in on trade.

Mon., Feb. 19 was designated as the new date for marking George Washington’s birthday.

Funeral services were held for: Louis A. Niebuhr, 92, of Industry; Mrs. Alma Poncik, 69, of La Grange; and Miss Sophie Miller, 85, of the Brushy community in Colorado County.

The Round Top-Carmine Cubettes advanced to the state Class B girls’ basketball finals for the third straight year by winning the Region 4B tournament. Composed of four seniors and two sophomores, the Cubettes of Coach Floyd Etzel defeated Utopia, 57-37, squeaked past the fired-up Crawford team, 4543, and downed Tilden, 60-49. Again, it was 6-1 Nina Marburger who set the scoring pace for the defending champions by dropping in 26 points against Utopia, 33 against Crawford and 37 against Tilden. Ably assisting were the other forwards, Diane Crawford and Debbie Pohl, and guards Cindy Jacob, Bonnie Schultz and Nancy Aschenbeck.

Mr. and Mrs. Warren L. Havemann of Houston celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on Sun., Feb. 4 at the SPJST Hall in Houston. Warren Havemann and Gladys Hilsher were married on Feb. 8, 1946, at Zion Lutheran Church in La Grange. The couple had twin sons: Ronald L. and Donald Gene, one daughter-in-law and one grandson. A delicious chicken and sausage barbecue dinner was served, followed by a dance with music by the City Polka Boys. Since Sun., Feb. 4 was also the 80th birthday of Mrs. Havemann’s mother, Mrs. Chas. Hilsher, guests enjoyed a birthday cake to celebrate her milestone.

Rose Mary Teinert, who served as the 1972 Fayette County Princess, congratulated the 1973 winner, Carolyn Czichos. Seventeen-year-old Carolyn, a member of the La Grange 4-H Club, was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Czichos. The runner-up was Janice Stueber of the Rutersville 4-H Club. County home demonstration agent Mrs. Nettie Freudenberg coordinated the pageant. Carolyn was to represent Fayette County in March at the Austin Livestock Show Princess Contest.

Mr. and Mrs. Jos. A. Muras were honored with an open house given by their children and grandchildren on their 50th wedding anniversary.

Fayette Memorial Post and Auxiliary winners in the Voice of Democracy contest were: first place – John Williams, the son of Mrs. E.T. Williams of La Grange; second – Dianna Schulz, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Schulz of Winchester; and third – Rosie Teinert, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leon Teinert of Warda. The contest had been an ongoing project of the La Grange VFW since 1960. Over the years, several local winners also had placed at the district level and one youth advanced to the national level.

Mr. and Mrs. Weldon Scholtz celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on Sat., Feb. 10 at the Hermann Sons Hall in Rutersville. Miss Leatrice Hartfield and Weldon A. Scholtz were married on Feb. 8, 1948, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Round Top by Rev. Walter Kralik. Mr. and Mrs. Scholz had three children: Wayne of San Marcos, and Kathy and Janet of La Grange. Mr. Scholz had been a building contractor for many years.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lehmann of Warda observed their 25th wedding anniversary on Sat., Feb. 10 at the VFW Hall in La Grange. A brief address was given by Rev. Marcus Wolfram after the reception started at 5 p.m. The guests were registered by the couple’s niece, Robin Giese, and friend, Peggy Pietsch. Mrs. Leslie Giese with assistance from Mrs. Eunice Dunk recorded the gifts. Mrs. Mabel Kasper cut the cake, a gift baked by Mrs. Clarence Schultze. Robert Lehmann and Della Mae Giese were married on Feb. 8, 1948, at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Warda by Rev. Paul C. Eifert. They had two sons, David and Douglas, both of Warda.

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