REMEMBER WHEN?
50 Years Ago
Feb. 8-12, 1972
Fayette County Sheriff T.J. Flournoy reported a busy January. “We had a lot of prisoners in jail and arrested a lot more who were not jailed. We also served a lot of civil papers.” He was unhappy with adjudication on cases that had gone before the district court. “It looks like we can’t get anyone in the pen anymore, regardless of how hard we work or how serious the case is.”
Approximately 6,700 Fayette County residents had been issued voter’s certificates to vote in 1972 elections, according to Tax Assessor-Collector Gilbert H. Eck. That was 1,200 names shy of the previous year’s total and 1,800 less than the 8,558 who had qualified to vote in the presidential election in 1968. Voter registration – without cost – was open to anyone 18 years of age and over.
Prospects looked good for approval of La Grange’s application for a low-rent housing project. That was the word from G.A. Koenig, chair of the La Grange Houston Authority, following a meeting with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in San Antonio.
Plans for an intensive local civil defense disaster relief training course were discussed at a meeting attended by county and city officials with representatives of the Texas Department of Public Safety’s division of defense and disaster relief.
Funeral services were held for: Geraldine Kossa, 18, of Ammannsville; Aron W. Mertink, 19, of Smithville; Oswald Tschatschula, 73, of Winchester; Henry G. Kovar, 75, of Ellinger; Miss Fannye Meitzen, 84, a native of Fayetteville; Walter J. Meinen, 70, of Fayetteville; Edwin W. Trueper, 78, of La Grange; and George O. Ullrich Sr. of Waldeck.
Donna Zapalac, who was representing the sponsoring Leopardettes at the La Grange Junior High School basketball tournament, presented Johnny Johnson of La Grange with the second place trophy. Columbus defeated La Grange in the championship finals, Weimar copped third place and Smithville won the consolation award.
The Texas Highway Department requested that the La Grange City Council close the first entrance to the new city cemetery on the west side of the MKT railroad tracks while Hwy. 71 was being improved in that area. The new roadbed was to be raised, necessitating construction of a retaining wall that would make entering and exiting the cemetery more difficult. Council members discussed closing all entrances to the new cemetery from the highway side and developing a new one from the west on Lester St.
District Judge Paul Huser of Schulenburg appointed Carl White of Flatonia to serve as foreman of the new Fayette County Grand Jury. Other members were: Victor White of Schulenburg; Raymond Schulz of La Grange; Gustav Krause of Carmine; Mrs. Lonita Makinson of La Grange; Theo Svec of La Grange; Jerry Alexander of Muldoon; Bill Graeter of Fayetteville; Emmet Johnson Jr. of La Grange; Edmond Luck of West Point; John Tripp of Muldoon; and Leon Langhamer of Schulenburg.
District Attorney Oliver Kitzman announced he was seeking reelection to the 155th Judicial District of Texas. Appointed in 1967, he had continued to serve since he was elected in 1968.
Stanley George Vacek, a senior at Bishop Forest High School in Schulenburg, won a $1,000 Houston Livestock Show Fayette County scholarship. He was to be recognized on the Astrodome scoreboard during Fayette County Night at the Tuesday, Feb. 29 evening performance. Fayette County “Go-Texan” chair John Wilson of La Grange made the announcement.
KVUE 24 advertised that it was airing the movie Cleopatra, which had won four Academy Awards, at 8 p.m. in two parts on two consecutive evenings. It was the first time that the movie starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton had been televised.
Five area farmers and Harvey Bohot of Bohot-Todd, Inc. of La Grange flew to Moline, Illinois, for a tour of two International Harvester plants. The group included: Rueben Krause of Round Top; Marion Gaertner of La Grange; Marvin Schubert of Rabbs Prairie; Leonard Jecmenek of La Grange; and Erwin Zoch of Winchester.
Mr. and Mrs. Alton Huelsebusch, who had been married on Jan. 28, 1947, at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Plum, celebrated their 25th anniversary. Mrs. Franklin Huelsebusch of La Grange cut the cake and was assisted in serving it by Mesdames Leland Neuendorff and Bill Grube of Columbus; Tye Holman of Weimar; Johnny Batia of Bernardo; El Gene Sommerfeld of Austin; Melvin Melcher of La Grange; and Gene Thompson and Walt Johnson of Houston.
La Grange Motor Co. advertised a 1972 Torino with V-8 engine, Cruise-o-Matic transmission, F78x14 belted whitewall tires, power steering, air conditioning, radio, body-side protection, moldings, tinted glass and wheel covers for $3,250.
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