REMEMBER WHEN?

50 Years Ago

Oct. 8-15, 1971

Robert Hendrick, 48, of Houston was the pilot and lone occupant of a light plane that crashed west of La Grange just north of Guenther Field Sunday afternoon. Hendrick’s Piper Comanche, a single-engine, four-seater airplane, went down in the Louis Svrcek pasture. The pilot was listed in critical condition in Fayette Memorial Hospital. Frank Guenther, the owner of the field, said indications were the aircraft lost power on takeoff. It clipped telephone lines and an eight-foot section of a pole, apparently banked over and landed upside down with an eight-foot section of the left wing sheared off. Colorado Valley Telephone customers in the Hostyn exchange were without service for a few hours. However, the plane went under Fayette Electric Cooperative’s lines.

A 55-year-old former Fayette County man was airlifted by a Bergstrom Air Force Base helicopter from the scene of a two-car collision near Bastrop to Austin’s Brackenridge Hospital. Benno Robert Brau was listed in satisfactory condition with multiple head lacerations. The helicopter happened to be in the area at the time of the accident.

La Grange High School Principal H.C. Giese announced that Glenn B. Davis, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Baker H. Davis, had received a letter of commendation for his performance on the 1971 National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

Funeral services were held for: Hazel G. Janak, 70, of Ellinger; Eddie V. Gerik, 60, of Fayetteville; Leonard Schubert, 53, a former Carmine resident; Charlie A. Renck, 73, a former Fayette County resident; Mrs. Henrietta Behrens, 88, of La Grange; Mrs. Patsy Ruth Steenken, 39, of Burton; Mrs. Arnold Stoever, 53, of Schulenburg; and Mrs. Selma Fels, 83, a native of Round Top.

Bands playing at local dances were: The 4th Cekcion at the Round Up Club Hall in La Grange on Friday, Oct. 8; The Velvets and Jef and the Kickers at the New Bielau Hall on Friday, Oct. 8; the Draw Backs at La Fayette Inn in La Grange on Friday, Oct. 8 and The Velvets at Swiss Alp on Saturday, Oct. 9.

The defending state Double-A co-champs Refugio Bobcats that were rated third in Texas Class AA circles lived up to their high ranking on Friday night when they defeated La Grange’s Leopards to the tune of 53-12. About 1,700 fans, including a good–sized delegation from the Bobcats’ hometown, attended. Despite the antics of the Two-A powerhouse, La Grange fans had reasons to cheer. The first time was early in the second quarter when quarterback David Zatopek caught the Bobcat defense off guard and slithered 16 yards for the first La Grange counter. Another occasion was at the start of the final round when Paul Risper was sprung from a 48-yard touchdown gallop.

General Telephone Company of the Southwest announced Schulenburg and Weimar telephone customers could dial each other without incurring a long distance charge.

Mr. and Mrs. Ed Wacker observed their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday evening, Oct. 2, at the Winchester Community Hall. An address in German was presented by Pastor Marcus Wolfram of Warda. The couple had two daughters, Mrs. Lorene Fuscher of La Grange and Mrs. Hildegard Schramm of Warda, and one son, Norbert, of Winchester.

Mr. and Mrs. Otto C. Andreas celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with an open house on Oct. 3 at the Ellinger Chamber of Commerce Hall. The couple was married on Oct. 6, 1946, in St. Paul Lutheran Church in Fayetteville by the Rev. Paul S. Fischer.

Sp. 4 Thomas J. Coufal, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Willie J. Coufal Jr., was assigned to a tour of duty in Vietnam. After graduating from stock control accounting school, he enrolled in a second course that concerned missile repair parts. He was stationed near Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam..

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