REMEMBER WHEN?

50 Years Ago

Jan. 15-19, 1971

The City of La Grange sold $330,000 in water system improvement revenue bonds in the last of the dual issue approved by voters in 1969. The effective interest rate was 4.8567% interest. City council accepted the bid of First Federal Securities Corporation of Austin, which rendered the best of six proposals received, to handle the transaction. The 20-year bonds had an option of redemption after 10 years.

Brenham’s Cubs outpointed La Grange Leopards in both ends of a double bill in the Leps’ gym Tuesday night. Johnny Dawson of the Leps emerged as the game leader in the scoring department with 23, while Ken Ripper was second with 13. The Cub varsity won 65-46 and the visiting junior varsity conquered the La Grange Bees by a 47-42 score. In the junior varsity tilt, Clarence Svoboda set the Leps’ pace with 21.

Fayette County Commissioners voted to increase the pay of election judges and helpers from $1.25 to $1.40 per hour.

Funeral services were held for: Mrs. Liane M. Weber, 83, of La Grange; Mrs. Johanna Aschenbeck, 85, of Shelby; Mrs. Lynda Clements, 76, of Muldoon; Mrs. Martin (Rosie) Foyt, 88, long-time resident of Fayetteville; Lonnie G. Warren, who was buried in the Byler Cemetery; Emil Chalupa, 86, of Fayetteville; Mrs. Ella Herzog, 83, of Biegel; Alfred J. Heintze, 90, of La Grange;

Mr. and Mrs. J.F. Chupick of La Grange returned from a whirlwind 10-day tour of Western Europe and Africa. The Chupicks, along with about 250 other members of the Arabia Shrine Temple and their spouses, flew from Houston to Baltimore and then to Malaga, Spain, on a jumbo 747 jet. The couple visited Madrid, the Spanish Rivera and the Rock of Gibraltar, as well as Tangiers.

The Houston Post’s roving columnist Leon Hale wrote about his visit to the little Catholic Church at Warrenton and a conversation with the Rev. Ben Mazurkiewicz under the headline, “Very Close Quarters for Fire and Brimstone.” The first paragraph read: “It must give a minister of the gospel a mighty good feeling to get up in the pulpit to preach and find his church full and overflowing, with a crowd of folks standing around outside to listen.”

Mr. and Mrs. Willie E. Bauer of La Grange celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. The couple and their family attended services Sunday morning at United Evangelical Lutheran Church at Swiss Alp where they had been members throughout their married life. At an open house in their home that afternoon, photos of the couple’s 25th and 50th wedding anniversaries were displayed. The former Alma Kiesling and Mr. Bauer resided in the Swiss Alp community their entire lives until they retired to La Grange eight years before their 60th anniversary. Their three children were: Mrs. M.H. (Laura) Ruegg of De Soto, Miss Leona Bauer of La Grange and Alvin R. Bauer of Arlington.

The first 1971 Club Dance was set for Saturday, Jan. 16 at Veterans Hall in Weimar with the Telstars playing. Admission was free for members and $1.50 per person for guests. Table reservations were available in advance. A club membership costing $15 per couple covered a total of nine dances.

Priced at $2.50 per person, tickets for the annual La Grange Chamber of Commerce banquet were on sale at both local banks, the three drug stores and the chamber office. The banquet was being held on Thursday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. at the La Grange school cafeteria. Hammond organ music was being provided courtesy of J.R. Reed Music Company of Austin.

Mr. and Mrs. B.H. Roeder of Shelby celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on Jan. 3 with an open house at the Shelby Legion Hall. Mr. and Mrs. Roeder were married in her parents’ home on Jan. 14, 1921, in Willow Springs. Mrs. Roeder was the former Miss Erna Henniger, the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Otto Henniger. Mr. and Mrs. Roeder made their home in Shelby for 40 years, where he operated a blacksmith shop until his retirement.

The Rutersville Lodge Hall was the scene of the 25th wedding anniversary celebration of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey G. Mueller on Jan. 17. Mr. and Mrs. Mueller’s wedding attendants present for the occasion were Mrs. Anton Tietjen Jr. of La Grange and Delvin Tietjen of Rutersville. Married on Jan. 6, 1946, at the home of Rev. Robert Heise, Mr. and Mrs. Mueller had two children, Mr. and Mrs. Steve Silvus of Austin and Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Spacek Jr. of La Grange.

An auction sale was scheduled for Jan. 24 at 1 p.m. at the residence of Mrs. Frank Hertel, 502 Paulus, Schulenburg. Household furnishings and some antiques were being sold.

Ernest Kallus ran an ad that read, “After 22 years as co-owner of K&Z Man’s Shop, I have sold my interest in the business. I wish to express my sincere thanks to everyone for the wonderful patronage we have enjoyed over the years. Mrs. Kallus and I wish to extend our very best wishes to the new management.”

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