Record Number of Junior Livestock Show Entries

Feb. 4-7, 1975

A grand total of 271 entries – the largest ever – had been posted for the 16th annual Fayette County Junior Livestock Show on Thursday, March 20. Future Farmers, Future Homemakers and 4-H club members had entered 197 swine. The market steer division had 74 entries and 59 sheep had been logged in. Fifteen pens of roasters and 13 broiler pens would be competing. A new division for agricultural and mechanical projects for 4-H club, FFA of FHA members, who attended school in the county, had been added to the 1975 show.

Five burglaries involving four feed stores and a lumber business occurred in La Grange over the weekend. Investigators estimated that about $50 had been taken at La Grange Feed & Egg Co., and $13 at Falstaff Feed. Only small change was stolen in the other break-ins at Farmers Lumber Company, H. Dittlinger Roller Mills Company and the Farm Service Purina dealership.

Two more burglaries occurred in the Muldoon area. One took place at the home of Mrs. Jim Helton Saturday night, where a 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun was stolen. The other was at the Dr. Mc-Clanahan place, where the loot included a tractor battery, chainsaw and box of tools.

Judge Paul Huser denied an amendment for a new trial of a suit filed by the Fayette County Landowners Protective Association against the City of Austin and Lower Colorado River Authority regarding the selection of the Cedar Creek site in Fayette County for a gigantic coal-fused electric generating plant.

The new service station being built across from Petzold’s Gulf Station would not be selfservice, according to Gulf Oil executives. The owner, Erwin A. Petzold, had been in business with Gulf Oil Corp. since July 1924. His existing station opened on Jan. 21, 1939.

Thanks to action by county commissioners and Judge Fritz Lobpries, emergency ambulance service in Fayette County continued when January ended and February arrived. The court contracted with Austin Transportation Company for one unit to provide countywide uninter-rupted emergency ambulance service for 30 days by two operators, Clyde Hartfield and Willie Brooks. J.C. Warhol was named Fayette Electric Cooperative’s new manager, succeeding John F. Luecke, who had served in that post since October 1945. Mr. Warhol was a graduate of St. Thomas High School in Houston and attended the University of Houston. A World War II veteran, he served in the Air Force as a radio instructor. He joined Fayette Electric’s engineering department in September 1965.

Get those potatoes ready to plant! Buy that garden seed! Spring was just around the corner, according to Mr. Groundhog, who didn’t see his shadow. The weather on Sunday in Fayette County wasn’t conducive for beast or man to remain outdoors for long. Temperatures varied about two degrees – from a low of 48 to a high of 50 – with occasional drizzle.

Funeral services were held for: Felix B. Werchan, 73, of Carmine; Mrs. Mamie Scholtz, 93, of La Grange; Mrs. Ella Robson, 81, of La Grange; and Mrs. Fred Marsh, 82, a Fayette County native.

Mr. and Mrs. Condido Guajardo of La Grange announced the birth of their son, Michael James, at Fayette Memorial Hospital on Jan. 21. He weighed eight pounds.

Fayette County Farm Bureau leaders who attended the two-day Texas Farm Bureau legislative conference and membership kickoff in Austin included: Jimmy Zoch, first vice president; Anton Tietjen Jr., president; William Coleman, second vice president; and Arnold Tauch, director.

Three students from the La Grange area received degrees from Sam Houston State University in fall graduation exercises. Bonnie Lynn Koether earned a bachelor of arts in teaching and Harvey Wayne Roensch received a bachelor of business administration. Both were from La Grange. Marie Coufal, a member of Alpha Chi from Fayetteville, graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor of science degree.

Below are ads from 1975

Girls were taking up carpentry at La Grange High School’s vocational shop. Angela Wallace and Jill Stueber were building a box to stow show materials at the Fayette County Junior Livestock Show. Liz Weidner and Janice Roitsch were constructing a tiny box for use in the nursery department at one of their churches. Enrolled in Vocational Ag 1, the girls were members of the Future Homemakers of America.

Coach Bob Johnson’s La Grange Leopards handily defeated the Hallettsville Brahmas, 79-48. When Jeff Lindemann, Gary Dippel and Mike Matocha came off the bench in the third stanza, La Grange began to catch fire. The Leps pumped in 16 points in No. 3, and really got hot in the fourth round when they made 35 points to win. The first half of the game had been decidedly lackluster.

Fayette County Commissioners accepted the bid of Eddie Wolff for janitor services for the Fayette County Courthouse.

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