Remember When?
1976: Long Drought Posing Critical Problems for Farmers and Ranchers
Feb. 17-20, 1976
Fayette County agriculture was gripped by the worst winter drought in many years. The last appreciable rain, a total of 2.58 inches, fell Oct. 25-26. Since that time, there had only been about one-third of the normal rainfall versus nearly 11 inches recorded during the same period the prior year. If a general rain did not fall in the next four weeks, the best planting period for over 40,000 acres of corn and milo would have passed; any yield of winter grain would be lost; pastures and stock tanks would be further depleted; and hay reserves would be practically exhausted.
A bold daylight, strongarm holdup at Flatonia shortly before noon on Friday netted two robbers approximately $675. Various law enforcement officers were still seeking the pair. The robbery took place at Kolar’s Grocery when two men came into the store and looked around. One went to the cashier, Lily Novak, grabbed her and forced her to open two cash registers. Meanwhile, the second thief kept the other store attendant occupied with questions about a piece of merchandise. The pair fled on foot.
Two men were tried on disorderly conduct and other charges in Judge A.V. Smith’s justice of the peace court following an altercation on the public school grounds near the vocational high school.
Five Fayette County towns received a combined $12,859 in sales tax rebates, representing the month of November, from State Comptroller Bob Bullock’s office. La Grange led the list with a check for $5,718, which brought the town’s total for the first 11 months of 1975 to $98,306. Other towns in order of their size of rebates were: Schulenburg, $4,645; Flatonia, $893; Carmine, $803; and Fayetteville, $800. Round Top did not receive a check because its rebate was below $500.
Funeral services were held for: Ivan Antosh, 61, of Swiss Alp; Mrs. Edna H. Kirschke, 77, of Industry; Joseph J. Halata, 85, of Moravia; Mrs. Frieda Eilers, 84, of Oldenburg; Mrs. Linnie Taylor Hayes, 63, of Oldenburg; Lilton Brown, 85, a Fayette County native; and Mrs. Neysa Sallinger, 40, a native of Carmine.
Louis J. Schroeder, the president of Fayette Water Supply Company, announced a meeting was set to explain the proposed rural water system on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. at the WOW Hall in Muldoon.Appli-cations for prospective customers would be available at the session. Membership remained at $100 per meter. Applicants would also be asked to pledge they would be paying customers when the system became a reality.
Entex was hosting an open house at its new offices at 130 South College St. in La Grange, featuring a no-obligation drawing for a gas dryer. Theresa Banse was the office clerk and Charles Heintz the local company representative and office manager.
The Round Top-Carmine Cubs, the basketball champions of District 57B, were taking one of the best records in the state in their classification to the regional tournament in San Marcos. Team members were: Jody Pohl, Alan Meinen, Charles Marburger, Brady Schmidt, Marvin Marburger, Ricky Meinen, Michael Albers, Terry Wunderlich, Gaylon Georges and Floyd Caldwell.
Dr. George W. Kunze, an area native and Texas A&M University’s graduate dean, was appointed to the blue-ribbon Federal Advisory Committee on Affirmative Action in Employment at Institutions of Higher Education.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary in La Grange had 81 paid-up members, with two petitions for membership pending.
Bruce Williams, 16, a junior at La Grange High School, won third place in the 29th annual national Voice of Democracy Broadcast Scriptwriting Scholarship Program sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Writing about the bicentennial, Bruce had placed first at the local level.
Catherine B. Heimsath, a senior at Fayetteville High School, was one of 26 finalists in the 1976 Betty Crocker Search for Leadership in American Living contest.
Jim Story’s La Grange Leopard hoopsters scored an 80-71 come-from-behind victory over the Smithville Tigers in the Tiger gym on Friday night. La Grange came out of a five-point, 55-50 deficit after three quarters to pull the game out of the fire in the final eight minutes by hitting 30 points in that last stanza. Johnnie Johnson dropped in 31 points for the victors. Garry Dippel came up with 27 and Kenny Hatfield chimed in with 10.
Nine directors were named to the board of La Grange State Bank at the annual stockholders’ meeting. They were: John Schuhmacher, G.H. Osthoff, C.V. Creuzbaur, Dr. L.D. Boelsche, J.E. Morgan, Lee Mueller Jr., L.W. Stolz Jr., Ted Adamcik, Fred Kasper and Walter Oeltjen. The following bank officers were elected: Mrs. Schuhmacher, board chair; Mr. Osthoff, honorary board chair; Mr. Creuzbaur, president; W.L. Heintschel and E.H. Baumbach, vice presidents; Theo Svec, vice president and cashier; Larry Korenek, assistant vice president; Mrs. Lillian von Minden, Miss Hildegard Reinhardt, Mrs. Jerline Moellenberndt, Mrs. Corine Etzel, Steve Pesick and Mrs. Kathy Glaiser, assistant cashiers.
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