1972: Serious Shredder Accident Sends FM 609 Farmer to Hospital

Harold Janak was critically injured in a shredder accident Sunday night on his farm on FM 609. He was reported to have been shredding a pasture when the tractor struck a hole, throwing the driver off and under the shredder. A neighbor, Joe Bordovsky, heard Janak’s call for help and called for assistance. The injured man, who suffered a badly mangled right arm and deep cuts on his back and leg, received emergency treatment at Fayette Memorial Hospital before being transported to Brackenridge Hospital in Austin.

In other old news, the outmanned and outgunned Smithville Tigers made a whale of a scrap of it before bowing under pressure to La Grange’s Leopards, 46-0, in the final non-conference game for both clubs. The triumph was La Grange’s fourth against one defeat. Big Jim Quinn scored thrice for the victors on runs of 3, 12 and 69 yards. Buddy Grobe tacked on a couple on 19 and 1-yard dashes. Reserve backs tallied the last two with Kevin von Minden on a 17yard pass play and Robert Poole on a 23-yard gallop.

All General Telephone customers in La Grange, Fayetteville, Weimar and Schulenburg would receive expanded direct distance dialing service on December 3. This meant for the first time, customers would be able to dial their own long distance calls. General Telephone served approximately 5,000 telephones in those towns.

Mrs. Dorothy Oltmann was installed as officer-in-charge of the Warrenton Post Office upon the retirement of Mrs. Lenora Zapp, who had served in that capacity for 20 years. Walter P. Freytag of La Grange administered the oath of office to Mrs. Oltmann. Warrenton’s first postmaster was William Neese, who was appointed in 1865 when the community was known as Neese’s Store. One night in 1872, while investigating a suspected burglary, Neese was shot and killed. The murderer was found guilty, but the jury foreman hastily writing the verdict, “We the jury first the defendant guilty of first degree murder,” misspelled the word find. Upon appeal, the murderer was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Max F. Zapp served as postmaster at Warrenton for 36 years and upon his retirement, his wife served for 20 years. Mrs. Charles Bybee was restoring the large stone Neese house across the street from the post office in 1972. La Grange High School band students scheduled to enter the Region XVIII UIL twirling contest included: Janis Roitsch, Kara Graham, Rhonda von Minden, Rhonda Koether, Cynthia Clegg, Angela Wallace, Karen Winkler, Laurie Albrecht, Kathy Turner and Melanie Hengst. Funeral services were held for: Emil Pietsch, 64, of La Grange; James Thomas (Jim) Helton, 67, who was buried in the Byler Cemetery at Muldoon; Otto Schulz of Warda; Mrs. R.R. Laufer, who was buried in the Pitman Cemetery at Muldoon; Henry J. Marek, 79, of Industry; Erwin O. Schatte, 65, of Round Top; Mrs. Tony (Josephine) Mazurkiewicz, of Brenham; Frank H. Kruse, 51, a Fayette County native; Emil Pietsch, 64, of Winchester; and Mrs. Lora K. Graf, 80, a Fayette County native.

Navy Fireman Frank D. Harrell II, the son of Mrs. and Mrs. Frank D. Harrell of La Grange, was at Subic Bay, Philippines, aboard the destroyer tender USS Bryce Canyon, providing repair service for ships of the US Seventh Fleet.

Melvin Shilling, the manager of Perry’s of La Grange, was presented with a lapel pin in recognition of 15 years of service.

‘The Wedding Cake Lady of La Grange,’ Mrs. Herbert (Lydia) Diers, was featured in the Sunday issue of The Texas Star, a magazine supplement included with the Austin, Houston and other Texas daily newspapers. The story read, “It all began with a Christmas gift. When she was a young girl, her mother received a standard cake decorator for Christmas and from that time on, Lydia would explore what to her was a very fascinating art.” Classic II Beauty Shop and Merle Norman Studio was opening for business at 220 W. Colorado. It was owned and operated by Mrs. Judith Stueber, the proprietor of Classic Beauty Shop at 108 South Main. Shop operators included Marva Jecmenek and Shirley Sladek. The location was formerly occupied by Gau Insurance Agency.

Students from Fayette County initiated into the national honor fraternity Phi Theta Kappa included: David Elmore, La Grange; Barbara Belota, Plum; Kathy Fischer, La Grange; Paulette Tielsch, La Grange; and Nancy Wasut, Fayetteville. Mrs. Lambert Lidiak won a box of chocolate chip cookies at the open house at Blue Bell Creameries in Brenham. The Women of the Church were holding an open house in the new Presbyterian manse on E. Crockett from 4-6 p.m. This was the future home of Rev. and Mrs. Frank McElroy Jr. and son, Paul.

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

THIS FEATURE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: