1973: Carmine Voters Back Incorporation

Residents of Carmine overwhelmingly approved incorporation of their town. Results from voting at the Carmine Fire Station showed 90 approved the incorporation with only six voting against it. The 1,046-acre area approved for incorporation included 117 qualified voters. Fayette County Judge David M. Murray was to call an election to choose a slate of city officials. One of the first acts of the new government would be to make application for federal funds for a sewage system.

La Grange Perry Bros. manager Melvin Schilling proudly announced the store’s new department that featured a wide range of supplies for artists and crafters of all ages.

Like father, like daughter! Carol Ann von Minden, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Werner von Minden, was the valedictorian of the Blinn College graduating class for 1973. Nineteen years earlier, her dad, Werner von Minden, was the highest ranking graduate of the 1954 class.

A delegation of 15 people representing the La Grange City Library appeared before commissioners’ court to ask the county to consider using part of the federal revenue sharing funds it received to help finance a new library for La Grange and Fayette County. La Grange attorney and library board member John D. Marburger acted as the spokesman.

Elgin police were still looking for the suspect who got away with $1,800 following the Friday morning heist of $11,000 from Elgin National Bank. Bank teller Kenney Wayne Daughtry gave chase to the lone bandit who had taken the cash box from the teller’s cage at about 10:30 a.m. Some $9,200 that fell from the cash box during the five-block foot chase was recovered.

Funeral services were held for: Dr. Ben O. Witte, 86, a native of Shelby and Mrs. Emilie M. Bertsch, 79, of Plum.

David Zatopek was named Mr. LHS and Melanie Hengst was voted Miss LHS for 1973. First runners up were Jim Quinn and Rita Struve. Second runners up were Billy Miller and Lora Blume.

Several Fayette County men were participating in two weeks of summer training with their Texas National Guard unit at Camp Shelby near Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Captain Johnson A. Campbell was the assistant in charge of operations for the 4th Battalion of the 133rd FA headquartered in New Braunfels. Privates Larry Spacek and William Tielsch from La Grange were also at Camp Shelby, training with the battalion’s C Battery from Luling, along with Schulenburg sergeants Delvin Dieringer and Otto Kocian, and Specialists Douglas Berger, George Mendel, Wallace Schimcek, Erwin Skalka and Laurence Veselka.

Sam Barrington of Trinity was hired as Schulenburg city manager at a special city council meeting, to replace Jim Mathis who had resigned.

The never-say-die La Grange Leopards did it again. They overcame what looked like insurmountable odds to come out on top of an 11-9 baseball game against the Uvalde Coyotes to tack on the bi-district championship for the second year in a row. Underclassmen played a large role in the Lep bi-district triumph. Freshman southpaw Kenny Hatfield, who took over hill chores in the last of the third relieving starter Charles Koether, got credit for the win on a four-hit, five-strikeout effort in his five-inning stint. Hatfield permitted the final four Coyote counters, only one of which was earned.

I.C. Parma, state president of the KJT Lodge for the prior 20 years, passed away Thursday in an Austin hospital at the age of 78. Mr. Parma, who was born at Ammannsville, the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Frank Parma, had lived at Granger for more than 50 years where he was president of Granger National Bank.

In Fayette County, sales of United States Savings Bonds totaled $23,983 in April, according to savings bond chair George Hajovsky. The total for the first four months of 1973 was $106,124 or 34% of the county’s goal for the year.

Mrs. Otto Tiedt, a fourth grade teacher in La Grange, was presented with a silver tray at the Texas Conservation Awards Program for her outstanding work in teaching conservation to her class. Mrs. Tiedt, who was nominated by the board of directors of the Fayette Soil and Water Conservation District, was honored at the 28th annual awards banquet for Region III in Sealy.

The 25th reunion Seibert Reunion was attended by 96 relatives and friends on Sun., May 20 at the Round Top American Legion Hall. Mrs. Lizzie Seibert, Mrs. Maria Leisering, Mrs. Emily Berggren and Colbert Markwardt had attended every reunion. Some of the younger members of the family, who sang songs and played the piano, were presented with 25¢ each for their performances.

Mrs. Beatrice Parker and Frank J. Willmann were honored as Fayette County Senior Citizens of 1973 at the annual fair held in La Grange on Friday. Mrs. Parker, a retired teacher, worked in the promotion of Hispanic- American relations. She was the widow of the late Rev. L.L.F. Parker. Mr. Willmann for many years had been the tax assessor-collector for the La Grange school district. He also was active in the Fayette County Fair and an officer and worker for the Fayette County Pecan Growers.

Mrs. Marie Kallus Poenitzsch graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor ofArts degree in home economics.

Mr. and Mrs. Monroe Jurk celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on Sat., May 24, at the VFW Home in La Grange. Monroe and Evelyn were married at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Winchester on May 16, 1948.

Mr. and Mrs. Arno L. Ruether celebrated their silver wedding anniversary on Sun., May 25 at the La Grange American Legion Hall. Arno Ruether and Corrine Neumann were married on May 23, 1948, at the home of Rev. Robert Heise. Their attendants, Mrs. Virginia Kruse of Victoria and LeRoy Mueller of La Grange, were present at the happy occasion.

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