REMEMBER WHEN?
50 Years Ago
August 4-7, 1970
Fayette County Commissioners awarded the contract for the new courthouse roof to Adolph Matocha Jr., a La Grange building contractor. His bid of $11,200 was the lower of the two proposals offered.
In his monthly report, Sheriff T.J. Flournoy wrote, “Every Saturday night there are a lot of dances all over the county, and all of them want an officer to keep peace. I only have two deputies and myself to police the whole county, and it is impossible to send a man to all of the dances. Our workload has increased a lot and I still have the same force of deputies I had when I was elected sheriff. I am very much in need of another deputy, and also a radio dispatcher and office man. So far, we have held the crime down to a minimum in this county, while some of our neighboring counties are having lots of trouble. I don’t know how long our luck will hold out, but we will keep on doing the best we can.”
The formal opening of Hermes Cartwheel Lodge, the new 100-bed convalescent home in La Grange, was delayed by the devastating effects of Hurricane Celia nearly 200 miles away. Crews working on the La Grange building were called away to make repairs to two other homes operated by Convalescent Enterprises, Inc. The Cartwheel Lodge of Taft on the outskirts of Corpus Christi and Cartwheel Lodge of Robstown had been directly in Celia’s path. Thankfully, no one had been injured in either home and both remained in full operation.
Excavation for the foundation of the Texas Forest Service’s new district office building in La Grange was scheduled to begin on a 3.5-acre tract east of E. Eblin St., between Texas Timbers and the City of La Grange warehouse. The site was gifted to the Texas Forest Service by the La Grange Industrial Foundation. The one-story, 1860-square-foot structure was expected to cost approximately $21,000.
Aubrey D. (Red) Voelkel of La Grange, who was a director of the National Baseball Congress State Championship underway in La Grange, was honored by the Grand Prairie Pirates. The team presented Mr. Voelkel with a model of an A7 Corsair 2, a U.S. defensive aircraft manufactured by its sponsor Aero Space Corp. of Dallas.
Funeral services were held for: Herman Nitzsche, 89, who was buried in the Nassau Cemetery near Round Top; Edwin Raeke, 68, of Industry; Hubert Dippel, 70, of Warrenton; Rev. Aaron Homer Burns, 79, of West Point; and Mrs. Alma C. Grimm, 65, a native of Winchester.
Mrs. Antonio Lueders was convalescing at Fayette Memorial Hospital after being struck by a coral snake at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bob H. Weeren who lived north of La Grange.
Blinn College announced funds were available to help students with a financial need for the 1970-71 school year. The college had a loan capacity of $64,000 for the National Defense Student Loan program and $29,800 for the Educational Opportunity Grants program. Blinn also participated in the Hinson-Hazelwood College Student Loan, formerly called the Texas Opportunity Plan, and the Federally Insured Loan programs.
La Grange attorney Henry J. Schovajsa was appointed to the area grievance prosecuting committee of the State Bar of Texas for a three-year term.
Mrs. Irene Richter was named administrator of the new Hermes Cartwheel Lodge in La Grange. Mrs. Richter, who was born and reared in Fayette County, was a 1953 graduate of La Grange High School. For the prior eight years, she had resided in Schulenburg, where she had served as co-administrator of Colonial Nursing Home. She and her husband, Charles Richter, had two children, Vicky, 15, and Neal, 12.
Band directors Wilbur W. Johnson and Jack Wiedemann attended the 23rd annual Texas Bandmasters’ Association New Music and Marching Band Clinic at the Convention Center in San Antonio. The highlight of the meeting was a concert by the United States Air Force Academy band and stage band in the Theater of Performing Arts at Hemisphere Plaza.
Michelle Kiesling, the daughter of Emil C. Kiesling of Rt. 1, La Grange, was representing the city in the Petite Aqua Court in Austin’s Aqua Festival that was to be held at Fiesta Gardens on Town Lake.
Mrs. Nettie Freudenberg, Fayette County Home Demonstration agent and newly elected District 10 director, was representing the district agents at the annual conference of the Texas County Home Demonstration Agents Association in Lubbock.
Lone Star wound up the Ladies Softball League season here with a perfect 8-0 record, shutting out Galipp’s of Schulenburg, 11-0, in the final ball game. Anita Dippel tossed a three-hitter to tack on the mound victory, whereas her mates collected 11 licks. Judy Hines, Carlotta Fisbeck, Anita Dippel and Becky Lobpries stroked doubles for the victors, while Helen Stanzel had a two-bagger for Galipp’s.
Backstage Inc. was holding tryouts and auditions for Hansel and Gretel at the Schulenburg High School Theater Friday night. I.E. Clark, who was directing the show, invited residents of Fayette, Colorado and Lavaca counties to participate.
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