Remember When?
Fayette County commissioners decided to use some of the county’s federal revenue sharing funds for the countywide ambulance service and the Bookmobile. They reserved $82,000 for financing the ambulance service and $8,000 for Fayette County’s share of paying for the tri-county Bookmobile. Residents paid for the use of the ambulance service: $35 per call or 60¢ a mile for out-ofcounty trips. The county was to make up the difference between payments and actual costs of providing the service. The balance of the remaining funds was on deposit drawing interest. The county had received $183,291 in federal funds for 1972 and expected to get a similar amount in 1973. Areas where federal funds could be used were: public safety (including law enforcement), fire protection and building code enforcement, environmental protection (including sewage disposal), public transportation (including streets and roads), health, recreation, libraries, social services for the poor or aged and financial administration.
The Flatonia home of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Sladecek was ransacked during the rainy noon hour on Friday. Deputy Sheriff August Brunner, who was assisted by Deputy Sheriff Eric Bauch of Schulenburg, said entry was gained by forcing a side door on the garage. Taken was $70 in cash, a typewriter, a wristwatch, three men’s suits, a $50 overcoat, ladies dresses, two radios and other articles of clothing.
The body of a 30-year-old Houston man who drowned while swimming was recovered from a farm pond southwest of La Grange. The victim of the tragedy on the Bass property in the FM 609 area was Tom Fry.
The La Grange High School band uniform fund received a boost when Amos Pavlik, representing the La Grange Noon Lions Club, presented $862.65 to the group, which represented the local share of funds derived from the presale of Clark and Walters Circus tickets. On hand to accept the check were band president John P. Williams, drum major Melanie Hengst and the entire Leopard Band dressed in uniforms that were completing their 18th year of use.
In his monthly report, Fayette County Sheriff T.J. Flournoy reported that he and his deputies made alcohol-related arrests on March 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 30 and 31.
RoundTop was getting set to stage its annual spring antiques fair and Winedale Festival. The semi-annual antiques fair at the Rifle Association Hall was to kick off on Sat., April 7, while the Winedale Inn was planning to host its annual music festival, as well as a Morgan horse show at the same time. Hackberry Hill was to be open for tours on Saturday and Sunday.
Funeral services were held for: Willie Speckels, 95, of Waldeck; Mrs. Caroline Janosek, 89, formerly of Fayetteville; Mrs. Marie Vacula, 71, of Plum; Bonnie B. Mazac, 77, of La Grange; Alex Fehmer, 83, a native of Ellinger; and Julius F. Schwierzke, 80, of Round Top.
Building permits for the first quarter of 1973 issued by the office of La Grange city secretary Mrs. Margaret S. Mason totaled $85,120, more than $5,000 more than the same prior year period. This included: Petzold’s Gulf Station, installation of three 6,000-gallon tanks; Walter Kneip Furniture Co., rebuilding an awning; Farmers Lumber Co., partial new roof; St. Paul Lutheran Church, new parsonage; Melvin Menking, building a rent house and remodeling another; Mrs. Emil Arldt, new roof; G.B. Muller, remodeling; and Mrs. John Logan Estate, house painting.
Both the Plum Ravens and Winchester copped Community League openers on Sunday afternoon. Three out of five games were decided by one-run margins, another by two, but Plum ran wild over Manheim to victory, 13-2. Winchester, with Gerald Doty on the hill, edged Warda, 4-3. Lexington, with a 4-0 lead at one stage, was able to slip by Smithville, 4-3, and the Giddings Buffs edged past Lincoln by a 6-5 score. Ledbetter scored four times in the top of the ninth to defeat a stubborn Serbin team, 8-6.
Winners of the 1972 Fayette Soil and Water Conservation District were the Howard F. Fuchs family of Carmine and the Milroy Krebs family of Willow Springs. The Fuchs family, which was named resident Conservation Farmer of the Year, owned and operated a 102-acre farm. The Krebs, recognized as Comeback Farmer of the year, owned and operated a 70-acre farm.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennie Liebscher of Damon were honored on their 50th wedding anniversary at the American Legion Hall in West Columbia. Bennie Liebscher and Miss Clara Hartmann were married on Feb. 7, 1923, by the Rev. Carl Baer in Waldeck. They lived in the La Grange area until 1942 when they moved to Damon.
The Selective Service System announced it would reduce the number of local draft board offices in Texas from 107 to 63 by the end of the year. As a result, the records from the La Grange and Giddings offices, which were closing, would be moved to Brenham.
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