Remembre When?

A Leopard Explosion Annihilates Hondo

Dec. 2, 1975

The Hondo Owls held La Grange’s Leopards in check for one quarter at New Braunfels on Friday night, but that was all. The Leps exploded for three counters in a span of less than five minutes in the second quarter and went on to blow out the Owls, 35-12, in a Class AA regional playoff game. The Leopards rambled for 280 yards on the ground with Shelby Willett picking up 99 on 14 carries, Johnnie Johnson 83 on 15 and Kenny Hatfield 74 on 18 to lead the way. Johnson, who once again turned in a great performance, scored three La Grange touchdowns. Willett went over with one and Tommy Supak posted the other when he ran two yards with a blocked punt. The lopsided triumph vaulted La Grange into the state quarterfinals against Hebbronville, which toppled Refugio, 25-22, in another regional contest.

A Houston man was fined $205.50 on Sunday by Fayette County Justice of the Peace Harvey Albers for shooting a ‘bottom buck,’ a small deer with antlers just beginning to sprout, on a deer lease near Waldeck. The shooter was apprehended on Sunday morning by area game warden Leroy J. Bennetsen.

Fayette County Historical Survey Committee chair W.P. Freytag announced that an Official Texas Historical Marker would be placed at the Old High Hill Cemetery near Schulenburg. The 18x28-inch cast aluminum marker with Swedish steel effect was sponsored by the Old High Hill Cemetery Association. It was to be erected at a ceremony in January.

Burglars struck the home of Mr. and Mrs. George Sanders in the Swiss Alp community in broad daylight on Friday afternoon and made off with a large amount of loot, leaving the house in shambles. Deputy Sheriffs C.A. Prilop and Vastine Koopmann, who were conducting the investigation, said the break-in occurred sometime between 2 and 4 p.m. Stolen were a Singer portable sewing machine, two diamond rings, a J.C. Higgs 12-gauge double-barrel shotgun, plus many other family belongings.

Funeral services were held for: Gidget Dawn, infant daughter of Mrs. and Mrs. Wesley Naumann of La Grange, and Mrs. Alvina Novosad, 74, of Fayetteville.

The Fashion Shop, which had moved to a new building at 240 W. Colorado St. in downtown La Grange, was open for business. Mrs. E. H. Francke and Mrs. M.R. Schmidt opened the store in 1961. After the death of Mrs. Schmidt, Mrs. Erwin Janssen became a partner. She and Mrs. Francke would be assisting the present owners, Marian and Harvey Busch. A new store, Marian’s Apparel, operated by Mrs. Dean Pape, was opening in the former location of The Fashion Shop. Both ladies’ apparel businesses were hosting their formal openings on Thursday.

Just like its counterpart the year before, November was a month of weather variables. It was hot, and it was cold. Temperatures of 80 degrees and higher were posted on 12 days, with a torrid 87 on Nov. 9. On five mornings thermometers dropped to freezing and below, and nine on which the mercury bottomed to under Jack Frost readings. The nippiest was 26 degrees on Nov. 23, following 27 degrees the prior Thursday. There was a 61-degree spread between the month’s highest and lowest temperatures.

Fayette County Extension Agent Mrs. Nettie Freudenberg attended the 41st annual meeting of the National Association of Extension Home Economists in Knoxville, Tennessee. Mrs. Freudenberg served on the national committee.

Cities and cooperatives that were Lower Colorado River Authority wholesale customers were saddled with the decision of either adopting a customer surcharge to wipe out a deficit that LCRA accumulated in its fuel adjustment billing from Lo-Vaca Gas Gathering Company over the prior 16 months, or refuse to pay and wait for a base rate revision.

Mr. and Mrs. Gus Kasparek of Fayetteville were honored on their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 22, at the Round Top Hall. Their children and grandchildren hosted the gathering. The couple had two daughters, Mrs. Lloyd (Angelene) Zwernemann of Carmine and Mrs. Milton (Elaura) Newmann of Shelby. Their son, Percy Kasparek, died on Jan. 9, 1973

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