1976: The Big Fish That Didn’t Get Away
Sept. 24-28, 1976
Rancher Harvey W. Roitsch and tractor garage man Michael Lehmann came back from their recent fishing trip with a prize – a 49-pound yellow catfish. A few days earlier, they caught a 36-pounder. The fishermen used live perch for bait to hook both catfish ‘somewhere’ in the Colorado River.
Ken Brothers of La Grange was one of the judges in the yodeling competition to be held in connection with the third annual Oktoberfest at Busch Bird Park in Houston on Sunday, Oct. 10. Both the authentic Alpine and American western forms of yodeling would be demonstrated. Brothers had recently recorded his first single featuring yodeling entitled ‘Fishin’ and Yodeling.’
La Grange City Council formally adopted a $397,009 operating budget for the new fiscal year beginning on October 1. Revenue was estimated to total $370,760 in 1977, which, with a projected beginning balance of $56,000, would make $426,760 available to run the city in the 1976-77 fiscal year, leaving a year-end balance of $29,751. Anticipated expenditures included $303,409 in city operations and $93,600 in capital outlay. Anticipated capital improvements were: $5,000 for general and administration; $48,000 for streets and bridges (with $23,000 earmarked for bridges and $20,000 for paving; $5,000 for the fire department (earmarked as a down payment on a new pumper); $1,500 by the police department; $100 for parks; $1,000 for the library; another $1,000 for the museum-library; and $5,000 for cemetery street improvements.
La Grange easily moved to a 56-0 conquest of an outmanned Schulenburg Shorthorn team on Friday night. The Leps played the game without the services of the all-central Texas guard Curtis Ray, who had torn cartilage in his left knee. By the third quarter, Coach Jack Narrell was emptying his bench, and in the fourth, La Grange once attempted a field goal on second down to keep the score from escalating further. The Leps’ first points were made midway in the first period.
Clovis Heimsath told the 22 Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce members at a meeting that a Houston Post photographer would be in the city Thursday and Friday tak-ing photos for a feature in the major city newspaper. The story was scheduled to be published prior to the Fayetteville Harvest Fest on Oct. 17.
Students in Fayette County were encouraged to read for personal enjoyment, while aiding persons suffering from multiple sclerosis. On Oct. 4, students in the county’s elementary and middle schools could register for the MS READ-a-thon. With family and friends pledging money for each book completed, the youngsters would read as many books as they could for several weeks. Mrs. Richard L. Barton Sr. was Fayette County’s READ-a-thon chair.
Four seniors at La Grange High School were named Commended Students by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Bruce G. Williams, Donna Wallace, Bert C. Vasut and Charles Hensel were among 35,000 students recognized nationwide for their outstanding performance on the 1975 National Merit Scholarship Preliminary Aptitude Test.
Texas Power & Light Company announced plans to build a multi-million dollar lignite-fueled electric generating plant near Rockdale. With a generating capacity of 545,000 kilowatts, it was to be constructed near the three-unit power station owned by Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) at Rockdale, which was operated by Industrial Generating Company, an affiliate of Texas Power & Light.
The newly elected officers of the Fayette Memorial Hospital Auxiliary were: Mrs. Ed. Morgan Jr., president; Mrs. Henry C. Paine, treasurer; Mrs. L.L. Warner, vice president; Mrs. Henry Berry, secretary; and Mrs. Miles Moss, auditor.
Funeral services were held for: Mrs. Emilie Konarik, 86, of La Grange; Albert Boettcher, 70, of Ledbetter; Mrs. Natalie Schmidt, 74, of La Grange; and Mrs. Alma Rohde Marburger, 77, of Round Top.
Marine Second Lieutenant Robert A. Schott, 24, the son of Mrs. Peggy A. Schott, of La Grange, graduated from Aviation Indoctrination School at the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida.
La Grange High School graduate Dennis F. Juren, who attended the University of Texas for two years, was promoted to group vice president of refining, marketing and transportation at Tesoro Petroleum Corporation, a large company listed on the New York Stock Exchange and headquartered in San Antonio.
Officers of the Luther League of St. Paul Lutheran Church were: Mary Ann Hruska, president; Michael Miller, vice president; Bert Vasut, secretary; Diane Noak, treasurer; Sheila Keith, parliamentarian; and Charles Hensel, reporter.
Steve Morrill, the president of the Flatonia Future Farmers of America chapter, was elected district sentinel at the District IV officers’ election in Brenham.
Mr. and Mrs. Erich Braun of Carmine celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary at La Bahia Hall. The couple was married on June 21, 1936, in Martin Luther Lutheran Church in Carmine by Rev. H. Brunotte.
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Seifert celebrated their golden wedding anniversary at the Home Demonstration Kitchen at the fairgrounds on Saturday, Sept. 18. Albert Seifert and Leonie Keilers were married at Oldenburg at the home of her parents in 1926 by the late Rev. Hoermann, the pastor of Warrenton Lutheran Church.
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