REMEMBER WHEN?

Oct. 19-23, 1973

After a six-day rain, total 1973 precipitation gauged in La Grange stood at 50.46 inches. With several months left in the year, there was a very good chance that the 1968 record of 53.47 inches would fall before yearend.

The Lower Colorado River Authority said it was making contingency plans to cut off electricity to 780,000 Central Texas residents for several hours a day in the coming winter if fuel for generating electricity became scarce. The blackouts could cover 31 cities and outlying areas served by 11 rural electric cooperatives that bought electricity from LCRA. An attorney testifying to the Texas Railroad Commission said under new federal allotment requirements LCRA could purchase no more fuel oil than it had in 1972. He predicted LCRA would be 42% short of electrical generating capacity by February 1974 if fuel supplies did not increase.

Mon., Oct. 22 was Veterans’ Day, a national holiday. Most businesses, courthouse offices, schools, the post office and other federal offices would close. Incoming mail would be boxed and letters dropped in the outside box would be dispatched to Austin at 1:30 p.m. Although no special party was planned, the American Legion Auxiliary was hosting a special party at the Legion Hall Friday night and members would be canvassing the city for the annual Buddy Poppy sale on Saturday.AVeterans’ Day memorial service was scheduled at the Praha cemetery at 11 a.m. Sunday, led by the Rev. Marcus A. Valenta. Dinner was to follow at the church hall.

The First Presbyterian Church in La Grange was observing the 125th anniversary of its founding on the afternoon of Sun., Oct. 28. The special event scheduled for the occasion was a short address by the executive secretary for Presbytery del Salvador at San Antonio and also Archbishop of the Synod of Red River. The Presbyterian congregation in La Grange was founded on Oct. 30, 1848, by Dr. Daniel Baker, a missionary sent to Texas by the Mississippi Department of the Presbyterian Church. There were five charter members. Services likely were in the county courthouse where the first communion service was held on Sept. 23, 1849. Dr. Baker, who resided at Crockett and traveled by horseback, held services whenever he happened to be in the area. Land for the first church home (where the Lauterstein Professional Building stands) was donated by G.W.

Sinks in either 1853 or 1854. It was given to a group called the Union Baptist-Presbyterian Church, Inc., to be shared equally by the two denominations. The Presbyterians purchased the Baptists’ interest for $200 in 1855.

Karen Lynn Fritsche, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Fritsche of Winchester and a La Grange High School senior, was selected DAR Good Citizen for 1973. Karen had received the Rosa Meinecke award for high academic ability, ranking in the top 2% of the nation. She served as FHA historian and was a member of the German Club, president of her church youth group and involved in 4-H.

Sharon Dopslauf of La Grange showed two blue ribbon Holstein heifers at the State Fair of Texas. Her yearling went on to be named junior champion of the State Fair’s open dairy show.

To celebrate the 40th wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Richard F. Kallus on Sat., Oct. 13, a Mass of Thanksgiving officiated by Rt. Rev. Msgr. Alois J. Morkovsky was held at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Hostyn. At a reception hosted by the couple’s children and grandchildren in the Hostyn dining hall, Mrs. Benedict Kallus of La Grange, the only daughter-inlaw, was assisted by a daughter, Mrs. Ralph Goerig, in cutting the cake. It was served by the honorees’ daughters: Mrs. Pat Lamon, Mrs. Clarence Faldyn, Mrs. James R. Baca, Mrs. Riney Spacek, Mrs. Frank Chovanec and Mrs. Wilbert Demel. Mr. and Mrs. Kallus were married on Oct. 24, 1933, in the same church and had lived in the Hostyn community all their married life.

Funeral services were held for: Eddie Jalufka, 76, a native of Schulenburg, and Mrs. Annie Korenek, 76, of O’Quinn.

Johnny W. Krause was elected president of Round Top State Bank. He succeeded Bodo Kraus, who had been the bank’s president for the first 29 years. Mr. Kraus was to remain a director, a position he had held for 43 years. Lee H. Krause, a charter member of the bank when it was organized in 1912, also retired, but remained an honorary director.

After spending a 30-day leave with friends and relatives, S/Sgt. Randy Johnston left for a 13-month tour of duty in Korea on Oct. 7. While deployed, his wife, Linda, and his son, Shawn, were residing with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Arno Ruether of La Grange.

A 214-pound senior fullback named Ben Scott proved the difference at Columbus Friday night as the host Cardinals defeated La Grange’s Leopards, 28-16, to level the Leps’ District 13-3A mark at 1-1.

Larry Wied, a senior at Fayetteville High School, was notified that he would be included in the seventh annual edition of Who’s Who Among American High School Students.

According to a tentative list issued by the state athletic director for the University Interscholastic League, La Grange High School’s Leopards would drop from Triple-A to Double-A classification for the 1974 football season. That meant La Grange would face Bastrop, Giddings, Hallettsville, Hays at Kyle, Luling, Smithville and Weimar.

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