LG Firefighters Rate 1974 ‘A Good Year’

The City of La Grange had only one general alarm the prior year, according to the report of Fire Chief Rudolph Voss at the organization’s annual meeting. That alarm was to the home of the late Mrs. Agatha Ehlers in the southern part of town, where lightning apparently struck the lawn, setting off a cloud of smoke, but causing no damage. During 1974, the fire department had 21 silent alarms and 40 outof- town alarms. The booster truck spent 38 hours outside the city limits traveling 583 miles to answer 40 calls. Firefighters used 89 personal vehicles to fight fires outside the city, driving 1,880 miles and spending 266.5 hours rendering assistance.

The weatherman brought La Grange and area the first snowfall of the season on Sunday afternoon – the first white stuff in two winters – as well as the coldest temperature reading exactly two years to the day. The mercury bottomed out at 16 degrees on Monday morning, with the snowfall measuring less than 1/10 of an inch.

The possibility of securing another physician for La Grange looked promising, according to Lloyd Kolbe, chair of the chamber’s doctor committee. The local group was negotiating with a medical student interested in locating in La Grange following his year’s internship.

The effects of inflation were evident in year-end deposits at Fayette County’s eight banks. Total deposits on Dec. 31 totaled $69,267,549.81, a gain of $2,493,272 over the prior year. However, the total represented a growth rate of only 3.6%, compared to 9% at the end of 1973 and 17% for both 1972 and 1971.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture was replacing the 50¢, $2 and $5 food stamp series with a $1 (brown), $5 (purple) and $10 (blue-green) series on March 1. The larger denominations were prompted by the volume of coupons needed to meet increased food stamp allotments, paper shortages and increased production and shipping costs.

Sheriff’s officers were probing three weekend robberies. One was a safe burglary in Schulenburg. Another involved the theft of guns at the Holan house at Ellinger, and the last was a house break-in at Muldoon, where a number of guns were also reported stolen.

The Emergency Public Employment Act signed by President Ford was expected to funnel an estimated $125,000 for new jobs into eight area counties, including Fayette. It was to receive $14,950 to establish jobs in city or country government that could be filled with unemployed persons who had been without a job for at least 15 weeks or had used up their unemployment benefits. Fayette County residents could apply by leaving their names at the county judge’s office.

Funeral services were held for: Anton Bunjes, 82, of Warrenton; Mrs. Olga Minssen, 80, of Willow Springs; Helen Hart, 71, of Winchester; Justin Kubala, 76, of Fayetteville; Mrs. Anna Zanek, 91, of Industry; Mrs. Leonie D. Fuchs, 88, of Carmine; and Joseph A. A. Cepcar, 65, of La Grange.

An old-time community stew dinner and anvil shooting was held at the Muldoon Courthouse on New Year’s Eve. The stew was started at 2 p.m. in an iron wash pot in the Muldoon Superette Store. The courthouse next door was heated with a vintage wood heater and decorated with garlands of tinsel, crepe paper, streamers and balloons. The service counter held an arrangement of fresh cut red roses and white chrysanthemums from the winter garden of Mrs. Blankenburg. A potted plant in an old tea kettle was placed in a corner. Old Father Time came in through the front door, limping on his cane, and walked around inside the courthouse. At midnight, the guests gathered under the roof of the Superette Store to watch the anvil shooting. Baby New Year, weighing 230 pounds, appeared in his brief baby outfit to wish everyone a happy 1975.

Carmine native Ross Zwernemann lost his life in a hang glider accident in Tempe, Arizona. He was 27.

When the Leps faced the Hallettsville Brahmas, the score at the end of the first quarter was 3-0 for La Grange, and at the half, 4-0, also for La Grange. At the close of the third period, La Grange was in front 6-2. Then the game got exciting and both teams racked up the points, with the Leps besting the Brahmas, 2914.

The U.S. Agency Environmental Protection Agency awarded a bronze medal to Malcolm Francis Kallus of Houston, the son of Mrs. Rita Kallus of La Grange. A certificate accompanying the medal explained the award that recognized Malcolm’s noteworthy contributions and special achievement as the director and facility manager of the EPA Houston laboratory facility.

Book circulation at the La Grange City Library had increased steadily over the prior five years, from 4,786 in 1970 to 10,415 in 1974.

Barbara Hrncir was representing La Grange in the 1975 Texas Junior Miss Pageant in New Braunfels on Sunday, Jan. 19 through Sat., Jan. 25. She was one of 43 senior high school girls from across the state competing for more than $50,000 in scholarships offered by Texas colleges and universities, plus an additional $100,000 in scholarships from two out-of-state colleges. Barbara was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joe L. Hrncir of La Grange.

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