Remember When?

There were so many students in LGHS’s 1973 graduating class that Warren O. Albrecht photographed the girls and boys separately. Female grads were (front row, left to right): Elaine Fritsche, Ruby Schobel, Marley Makinson, Vickie Simmons, Lora Blume, Vonice Willet, Janet Hoehne, Debby Marek, Donna Cook and Hazel Scott. (Second row): Deborah Buscha, Susan Bartosh, Paulette Risper, Glory Minton, Marlene Sumbera, Sharon Svrcek, Rose Holloway, Pearl Votaw, Linda Truesdale and Burnia Conner. (Third row): Doris Smith Pietsch, Barbara Liska, Olivia Taylor, Betsy Lehmann, Virginia Mode, Melanie Hengst, Judy von Minden, Annie Weber, Elaine Warhol and Marilyn Vacula. (Fourth row): Deborah Fitzpatrick, Jeannette Clegg, Melanie Brown, Connie Pechal, Karen Baumbach, Glenda Etheridge, Mary Loewe, Jeannette Reinhardt and Diana Schulz. (Fifth row): Elaine Pietsch, Roxanne Giese, Diane East, Evelyn Crump, Janet Scholtz, Dianna Mueller, Kathy Kieschnik, Carol Lukas, Rose Teinert. (Sixth row): Rita Struve, Susan Teinert, Cheryl Barrett, Ruth Jones, Judy Polasek, Katherine Urban, Susan Mueller, Joyce Stahmer, Carol Wessels and Catherine Munsch. (Seventh row): Phyllis Piwetz, Janet Loehr, Rhonda Kaltwasser, Rox Ann Albrecht, Cynthia Schultz, Betty Moerbe, Virginia Legler and Betty Heintschel. Missing from photo: Debra Lincke. 1973 male graduates were (front row, left to right): Michael Gabriel, Ronald Schielack, Glenn Hobratschk, Timothy Brand, Tom Faison, Louis Bargas, Stanley Herzog, George “Buddy” Grobe and Daniel Gersch. (Second row): Jerome Psencik, Larry Bernshausen, Dennis Ahlschlager, Clarence Bayer, Eugene Ulbrich, Glenn Dybala, Glen Kristoff, John Williams and Lonnie Benford. (Third row): Norman Wied, Jimmy Zimmerhanzel, David Zatopek, Charlie Supak, Martin Brandt, Sam Hensel, Johnny Meyer, Franklin Hruska and William Behrens. (Fourth row): Paul Hajovsky, Gary Janda, George Koehler, Ronald Polasek, Harold Lindemann, Charles Koether, Bobby Miertschin, James Sabrsula, Logan Fluitt and Quin Williams. (Fifth row): John Eilert, Frank Heger, Donald Antosh, Jim Quinn, Bill Miller, Roger Schultz, Ricky Kuhn and Victor Anders. (Sixth row): Calvin Johnson, Earl Preston, Fletcher Johnson, James “Pokey” Conner, Wayne Koopmann, Bruce Speckels, Frankie Srubar and Billy Hodde. (Seventh row): Robert Wellington, Edward Paige, Brian Prause, Tim Sulak, Richard Wagner, Gary Graham, Dennis Winkler, Calvin Bohot, Charles Mayer and Billy Svec. Photos and identification courtesy of Fayette Heritage Museum and Archives.

The reality of gasoline shortages was beginning to bear on the minds of local and area motorists who were accustomed to driving as though there would always be enough fuel. A survey conducted by The Record revealed that several local wholesalers were starting to face supply apportionments based on past sales. Don Williams at the Texaco station said he would curtail sales at the retail station rather than impact farm usage. Harry Vogt at the Conoco station said they were not adding any new wholesale customers, although he had no curtailments yet. W.A. Yates told the paper that his Gulf station had been placed on a 15-day allotment based on the prior year’s sales for the same period.

Thirty municipalities and 11 rural electric cooperatives in Central Texas received disturbing information from the Lower Colorado River Authority regarding the energy crisis. Wholesale purchasers were told that LCRA needed to purchase fuel oil during the months of June through September and did not have the money to do so. If wholesale customers, municipalities and cooperatives did not provide financial assistance, it would be necessary for LCRA to curtail power, which would directly impact their customers. Several days later, the LCRA’s board of directors passed a resolution appealing to its wholesale customers to ask their customers to make a 30% voluntary cut in electrical consumption to aid in lowering fuel usage.

A bridesmaid the prior year but a full-fledged bride in 1973 – that’s the La Grange Leopards who reached the state Triple-A high school baseball playoff Saturday afternoon. The Leps, under the first-year guidance of Leonard May and assistant mentor Bill Riskin, shut out the Mercedes Tigers, 3-0, in the third and deciding game of the Region IV playoffs at Austin’s Nelson Field to get their firsttime- ever chance at the state diamond championship. The team played errorless ball behind Bill Miller’s splendid fourhit hill job, took advantage of every break, stole the bases with reckless abandon and, again, had little Stevie Kovar come up with several sensational defensive plays at second base. Only one of the La Grange runs was earned. Two Tiger bobbles and a balk contributed to two counters, but one was actually all the locals needed to win the big one.

Fayette County Sheriff T.J. (Jim) Flournoy reported that DWI offenders were apprehended on: May 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 18, 19, 20 and 26. Drunks were jailed on May 7, 10, 12, 14, 19, 25 and 31. At the Ellinger celebration, one minor went to jail for possession of beer. On May 5, one person was jailed for having no driver’s license and two more for racing. Disorderly conduct arrests were made on May 13 and 21, and two were jailed for fighting on May 13. Two subjects were jailed for the theft of a pair of boots from a shoe store on May 18 and two others arrested for radiator thefts from used cars on May 22. Other law enforcement work included: working disturbances around the county; serving civil papers; investigating traffic accidents and a shooting; assisting with traffic; attending district court; and transporting a patient to the state hospital.

The Hwy. 77 bridge over the Colorado River south of La Grange was damaged in an accident at about 10:30 a.m. on Monday. Sheriff’s officers reported that a front-end loader and backhoe apparently shifted on the bed of a 1972 Ford tractor- trailer and caught one of the bridge span supports. The impact yanked the loader-backhoe off the truck bed, practically destroying it. Traffic was halted until the accident scene was cleaned up.

The Mustangs defeated the Astros, 11-6, in the farm league opener. S. Klein got 11 base hits, while winning pitcher O. Craig doled out nine safeties and fanned six. Klein struck out five.

Funeral services were held for: Miss Allene Kraus, 42, a native of Round Top; Elgin Gebhard, 58, of Willow Springs; Charles August Guntz, 73, of La Grange; Mrs. Emilie Matocha, 75, of La Grange; and Mrs. Ida Kuehn, 85, of La Grange.

Motorists driving across the Hwy. 77 bridge that was being sandblasted before paint was applied to the steel trusses were surprised to see a ‘flag woman’ on the job.

The little town of Round Top, the music capital of Fayette County, was welcoming a special program from the James Dick Foundation for the Performing Arts. A calendar of 14 seminars and six concerts were planned from June 9 through July 7. They were to take place on an ultra-modern mobile stage located on Henkel Square. Those attending the free events were encouraged to bring folding chairs.

The Mid Texas Bookmobile announced its summer schedule. Beginning Tues., June 12, and every two weeks thereafter, it would stop at: Winchester, 10:30-11 a.m.; Warda, 11:30 to 12 a.m.; Ledbetter, 1-1:30 p.m.; Carmine, 1:45 to 2:15 p.m.; Round Top, 2:30 to 2:45 p.m.; and Rutersville, 3-3:30 p.m. The other stops, Ellinger, Fayetteville, Oldenburg and La Grange, would remain at their regular times. The Mid Texas Bookmobile had 2,000 volumes and drew from its collection of 15,000 books at no charge to readers.

La Grange businessman Edmund A. (Ed) Giese died at the age of 74. Engaged in the insurance business here for many years, he also was La Grange’s postmaster during the Hoover administration, had served as a deputy in the county clerk’s office and was manager of Fay-ette Electric Cooperative during World War II.

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