Remember When?

Fayette County’s political pot began to warm up with the announcement that Lee Mueller Jr. had filed with Democratic executive committee secretary John D. Marburger to run for county judge. Two other locals, both seeking reelection, had also filed. They were Walter Schaefer, clerk of the 155th district court, and Paul Jaster of Round Top, commissioner of Precinct 2. The filing deadline was a little more than two weeks away.

La Grange High School announced it would offer a new series of adult vocational education classes beginning in February. School district trustees approved the program, which was to include farm welding, beef production and farm electricity. Other courses included auto mechanics, typewriting, bookkeeping and shorthand, as well as general marketing instruction, including shoplifting detection and prevention. Trustees also approved a new student summer work program. Ten eligible students would be hired at $1.60 per hour to perform office work and bus and other maintenance. State funds would reimburse the school for 80% of the cost, Superintendent C.A. Lemmons explained.

Fayetteville Independent School District Trustees appointed Mrs. Carolyn Mager as tax assessor. Mrs. Mager, who was the tax assessor for the City of Fayetteville, was resigning to take the school district job. Trustees also scheduled the April 6, 1974, board election when two positions would be filled. The terms of Jesse Bruton Jr. and Robert J. Kovar Jr. were expiring.

Jimmy Freeman was named La Grange’s new city manager after the departure of Atlan M. Citzler. Mr. Freeman, who served in that capacity at Marble Falls before accepting the La Grange position, was a 38-year-old native of Trent, Texas. He grew up at Roscoe, the city he had served as mayor before moving to Marble Falls. Mr. Freeman’s wife, Linda, was a hospital surgical nurse. The couple had three sons, who would be entering LGISD.

The La Grange Leopards sorted out their performance issues and roundly defeated the Wharton Tigers, 70-61, to elevate their record to 2-1 on the District 13-3A campaign. The Leps shot 77 times in the 32-minute game, illustrating the fast pace of the contest. La Grange was out front by 19-12 at the end of the first stanza, amassed a 41-27 halftime margin and was leading 62-43 at the three-quarter mark before coasting in the last heat. Neal Miller was the top Leopard point-maker with 19, followed by Robert Pool with 17 and Johnny Johnson with 15. Others contributing to the high score were Steve Kovar with 8, Tommy Taylor with 6, Mike Toennis with 3 and Kenny Hatfield with a pair.

Another derailment on the Missouri-Kansas-Texas tracks in La Grange delayed rail traffic for about 10 hours. However, damage was not nearly as extensive as the derailment two weeks before on the east side of the city. The Friday mishap, which occurred shortly after 1 a.m. near the rear of a westbound freight train, involved four flatcars, each carrying two piggyback trailers. The caboose came to a stop across E. Travis St., but the highway was blocked for only a short time before a wrecker and a bulldozer pushed the unit off the right-of-way. A defective wheel flange was thought to be the cause of the derailment.

Funeral services were held for: Mrs. Hedwig Hassler, 60, a former Fayette County resident; Mrs. Philip (Emma) Beiersdorfer, 87, a former Fayette County resident; Milton Roemer, 45, of La Bahia; Mrs. Myrtle Brieger Cox, 84, a former resident of Winchester; and Adolph J. Matocha Sr., 74, of La Grange.

A battle dance was being staged at the Ellinger Chamber of Commerce Hall on Saturday, Jan. 19 with proceeds to pay hospital bills for Annette and Jeanette Warschak, who were severely burned in an accident on Nov. 16. Alvin Linhart & His Sugarlanders and the Pavlas Polka Band of Houston were providing the music.

The La Grange Housing Authority received two turnkey bids for construction of 40 low-rent housing units here. The proposals were being forwarded to the San Antonio Regional Office of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The two bidders were Edward Mattingly & Associates of Houston and Southern Erection Company of Bossier City, La. Sites proposed for the housing complex in different parts of the city were to be disclosed as soon as HUD cleared the proposals. The bids were for construction of 10 two-bedroom units, 14 three-bedroom units and six four-bedroom units for the nonelderly, and 10 one-bedroom units for the elderly. A federal grant of $756,800 had been approved for the project in 1972.

Local residents were urged to keep their porch lights on Monday night, Jan. 21, for the annual citywide Mothers March for the March of Dimes. Mrs. Doris McKenzie and Mrs. Barbara Niemeyer were cochairing the fundraising effort.

When city firetrucks got to the scene of an alarm at S. Madison St., they were virtually hemmed in by curious people following the emergency vehicles in their cars. According to city police, those found guilty of chasing firetrucks would be fined in the future.