REMEMBER WHEN?

50 Years Ago

June 2, 1970

Spec/4 Arnold Kulhanek, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Theo Kulhanek of Fayetteville, was critically injured in a booby trap explosion in Vietnam. The injuries occurred at an aircraft landing zone. Kulhanek, attached to an infantry unit, was evacuated to a hospital the following day. The young GI, who graduated from Fayetteville Rural High School in 1966, also attended Blinn College in Brenham.

An article under the banner headline entitled ‘Ledbetter Centennial Will Herald a New Beginning,’ said the first train that went through Ledbetter 100 years ago was also the first train to go through Fayette County. Ledbetter’s longest lasting industries were the shipping of gravel, coal, rock cordwood and cattle. The town furnished gravel for many Texas highways, as well as rock for the Galveston jetties. Ledbetter had been called the Coastal Bermuda Capitol of the area for a decade. Entering its second century, Ledbetter was installing a new water system, had chosen a new location for the Ledbetter post office, was preparing new dumping grounds and improving telephone service, as well as installing streets and signs. The population was expected to grow with the subdivision of 50-acre lots at Deer Haven, according to owners Alfred Boecker and John Val Dietz.

Ricky Blume’s clutch double following a pinch-hit single by Charles Plumlee in the top of the ninth scored the run that enabled the La Grange Demons to edge Schulenburg’s Merchants, 5-4, in a South Central Texas Amateur League hair-raiser. The seesaw tilt saw the Demons’ Alex Jordan and Dennis Florus of the Merchants book up in a nifty hill battle, although base hits flowed freely during the afternoon. Jordan permitted a dozen base hits and Florus gave up 10, though a number of those were of the scratch variety. After Danny Glaiser had walked, Butch Blume’s three-bagger got the Demons their first in the top of the second. Schulenburg retaliated with doubles by Jerry Kubena, Florus and Domingo Seguro, and singles by Frank Segura and David Segura to account for the trip in the bottom half of the inning. Ken Schroeder and Wayne Otto singled to open the Demons’ third. Hal Tiedt popped out, but Rick Blume walked to fill the bases before James Karstedt skied to right with Schroeder scoring after the catch.

The Pirates prevailed over Round Top-Carmine, 11-10, in a Little League seesaw affair. The RT-C lads outhit the victors, 12- 7, their dozen swats including a homer by Jody Pohl and two-baggers by Charles Marburger and Alan Meinen. Arthur Muerer had a double for the Bucs. Getting five strikeouts, Martin Bordovsky was credited with the hill win, while Gaylon Georges was the loser.

The Texas Court of Civil Appeals in Austin upheld a lower court decision that prevented the state savings and loan commissioner from authorizing South Central Savings and Loan Association of Brenham to operate an agency in La Grange.

The newly formed Southwest Texas Conference announced appointments for Methodist Church ministers in the area. Assigned to Travis Street United Methodist Church in La Grange and Winchester was Norman D. Roe. J.C. Williams was named to St. James United Methodist Church in La Grange, as well as Fayetteville and Industry. In Flatonia, Waelder and Thompsonville, Henry C. Newman was appointed and Arnold M. Roos would be leading the Industry congregation. Robert Parsons was serving Schulenburg and Freyburg, while Phillip M. Riley’s churches were Smithville, Muldoon and Paige. Mrs. Dorothy R. Finch was appointed to the Winchester circuit.

Clyde E. Owen of Koenig Funeral Home was in Fort Worth to attend the 84th annual convention of the Texas Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association. Mr. Owen, along with others holding 50-year licenses, was to be honored at a special recognition ceremony on the last day of the threeday convention.

A funeral service was held for Miss Wilhelmina Wolff, 91, of La Grange.

Miss Linda Ann Ephraim became the bride of John Michael Dalchau of Snook in a double-ring candlelight ceremony at 6 p.m. at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Winchester on Saturday, May 30. Miss Susan Fritsche of Austin, the cousin of the bride, was maid of honor. The best man was Waldo Dalchau Jr. of Columbus.

Approximately 185 guests called during the evening of May 23 at the American Legion Hall in Smithville in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Moerbe’s 50th wedding anniversary. Mr. Moerbe was a native of Warda and Mrs. Moerbe a native of Winchester. They were united in marriage on May 23, 1920.

Among the more than 1,250 University of Texas students awarded Bachelor of Arts degrees were: Elvis Glenn Schulze, Fayetteville; Terry Frank Pechacek, Flatonia; and Michael Martin Loessin and Karen Elise Yoder, both of Weimar.

Shirley Jean Chovanec earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and Linda M. Giese Oltmann earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Texas Women’s University at Denton.

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