Remember When
May 8-11, 1973
A team of Houston physicians implanted a nuclear-powered pacemaker in the chest of a 63-year-old La Grange man. The operation was performed on Jerry Faldyn, a La Grange plumber, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital. Physicians at the Texas Heart Institute, part of the St. Luke’s Texas Children’s Hospital complex, performed the operation. Used to regulate the heartbeat of persons whose natural pacemakers could not function, conventional pacemakers were powered by batteries that had to be replaced in an operation every 18 months to two years, while nuclear-powered pacemakers were expected to last five to 10 years. Mr. Faldyn’s nuclear-powered pacemaker was 2½ inches long, two inches thick and an inch wide. It weighed 3½ ounces and used radioactive plutonium 238 as its power source. Nuclear-powered pacemakers like this had been used in France and elsewhere in the United States for two years.
Mrs. E. G. Murphy of Round Top was in a Houston hospital Saturday morning undergoing treatment for facial burns and smoke inhalation after a blaze broke out in a small cabinet under the lavatory in the bathroom of the Murphy home. When Mr. Murphy found his wife unconscious on the bathroom floor, he called neighbors for help. They, in turn, phoned for an ambulance. Mrs. Murphy received emergency treatment at Fayette Memorial Hospital in La Grange before she was transferred to Houston. Water dripping from melting plastic piping appeared to have snuffed out the fire. The Murphys resided in a practically new home just west of Round Top.
Sheriff’s officers posted notices issued by Fayette County Judge David M. Murray and attested by County Clerk John A. Kubena calling for an election to incorporate the town of Carmine. The proposed area to be incorporated contained 1,046 acres, more or less, all located in Fayette County. Election Day was Sat., May 19 at the fire station.
The La Grange Jaycee Demons fell on two New Ulm hurlers for a dozen base knocks to back up the four-hit pitching of Steve Janda to shellac the firemen, 9-1, in a South Central Texas Amateur League encounter. The Firemen got to Janda for their lone counter in the top of the very first inning on a base on balls, infield error and Tommy Dittmar’s RBI single. Thereafter, Steve shut the gate, whiffing 12.
Ruben Kappler, who lived on Fairgrounds Road, killed a coral snake Saturday morning in his pasture across from the Werner Heise place. The reptile measured two feet, four inches in length.
Notices had been mailed to customers announcing that 1-plus and 0-plus distance dialing was coming to the Colorado Valley Telephone Cooperative’s Warrenton, Plum, Hostyn and Borden exchanges. The new service would enable customers to dial their long distance calls themselves. The 1-plus dialing would enable subscribers to get assistance from an operator to make lower rate station-to-station calls while the 0-plus dialing covered person-to-person, collect credit card and third number billings calls.
Two entries from La Grange High School placed in the University Interscholastic League state meet in Austin. Diana S. Schulz won first in Texas in informative speaking to bring home three plaques. Katherine A. Urban scored second place in spelling and plain writing.
At the appreciation dinner for the Fayette County Junior Livestock Show, thanks went out to Lukas Bakery for the bread; Charles Eilers Construction Company of Schulenburg, La Grange Auto Supply and Richard Cernosek for the refreshments; Royal Crown Bottling Company for the soda pop; and Louis A. Giese of Warda for the wood to fire the barbecue pits.
At the annual all-sports banquet held at Hermes Cafeteria, approximately 200 La Grange Public School students were honored. Jimmy Quinn received the all-sports award from the La Grange Jaycees. Quinn was a three-year letterman in football and baseball, two-year in basketball and one year in track. Varsity football lettermen receiving jackets were: Mike Michalka, Emmit Homer, Larry Hatfield, Sammy Scott, Eddie Oppermann, James Divin, Kevin von Minden, Calvin Bohot, Sam Hensel, Ed Hardy, Maurice Bouldwin, Jack Scharnberg, Marcus Cook, David Zapalac, Mark Behrens, Frank Heger, FreddieAdamcik, Louis Bargas, Mike Maxwell and Daniel Gersch, and managers Jimmy Zimmerhanzel, Gene Larrimore and Roy Jones. Paulette Risper was named Leopardette of the Year and Billy Miller was the Leopardette Beau.
Also at the banquet, Rita Struve announced the Leopardette cheerleaders for the 197374 term:JaneKana,PamStruve, head cheerleader Barbara Hrncir, Maecile Henderson, Debbie Bippert, Denise Roberts, Susann Prause and Elaine Matocha.
Funeral services were held for: Rev. H. Troy Jarvis, 57, a former pastor of First Presbyterian Church in La Grange; Mrs. Helena Meinke, 86, of La Grange; and Mrs. Frieda Mackel, 83, of Carmine.
Gene Ulbrich announced that his new business, City Cab Company, would begin offering 24-hour taxi service Friday.
The La Grange City Library received a shipment of 125 books on permanent loan from the Texas State Library. Most of the new arrivals were for children.
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