REMEMBER WHEN?
50 Years Ago from the files of The Fayette County Record
August 18-21, 1970
Fayette County’s first bale of cotton for 1970 was ginned at the Lee Walla Gin at Ellinger. Grown by John Shimek of Fayetteville, it weighed 530 pounds at the gin and was hand-pulled by Mr. and Mrs. Shimek with the help of their family. Mr. Shimek, who was 70 years of age, farmed 19 acres of cotton and expected “a fair crop” in 1970. The Walla firm ginned the bale free and the grower received a $25 cash donation from CenTex Livestock Commission Co. of Giddings.
Fayette County Judge David M. Murray announced the office of the county judge would be closed Wednesday, Aug. 19, in observance of the first anniversary of the passing of former County Judge Ike J. Petras.
The Round Top-Carmine Independent School District was opening for the new term on Monday, Aug. 31 at 8:30 a.m. Superintendent Kenneth W. Manning advised parents to register their children on August 28 from 9-11:30 a.m. Although the buses would run on their regular schedule on opening day, no lunch was being served.
La Grange’s public schools were opening on Monday, Aug. 31, as well. New La Grange Independent School District students were asked to pre-register Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 24 and 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students in kindergarten through the 8th grade were to go to the school cafeteria, while high school students were asked to register at the principal’s office. New students needed to bring their birth certificates, as well as report cards, book cards and medical reports from their prior schools.
After La Grange school district trustees approved a budget of $976,383 for the 1970-71 school year, 20% more than the prior year, a discussion took place on what teaching position should be eliminated due to lack of funding. Superintendent C.A. Lemmons explained the prospective job loss was due to declining enrollment and state funding for teachers’ pay. The trustees agreed not to disturb the athletic program.
Sacred Heart Catholic Church in La Grange still was collecting clothing, food and other items to send to Hurricane Celia sufferers in Corpus Christi.
Funeral services were held for: Mrs. Annie Zbranek, 91, of Fayetteville; Mrs. Joe Mensik, 78, of Holman; Mrs. Ella Etzel, 84, of Round Top; and Mrs. Annie Cernoch, 72, a native of Dubina.
Anton Tietjen Jr., the president of the Fayette County Farm Bureau, was representing the county at a statewide presidents’ conference August 27-28 in Brownwood.
Army Private Donald R. Chovanec was assigned to Company A, 100th Battalion, 5th Brigade at the U.S. Army Center in Fort Knox, Kentucky. Following basic training, Private Chovanec was to receive at least eight additional weeks of advanced or on-the-job training to qualify for a specialized military skill.
At the quarterly meeting of the Mid-Texas Bookmobile committee in Luling, it was noted that 7,800 books had been checked out from April to June. Also, some 900 titles had been added to the mobile library’s collection. Participants in the reading program were reminded their lists were due and any overdue volumes should be returned as soon as possible. Certificates were being mailed to reading program participants in September.
Representing the Austin Diocese, the La Grange CYO girls’ softball team, placed third in the Region VIII Southwest Council of Catholic Youth Classic held in San Antonio over the weekend. Two of the team’s players, Jane Sulak and Rebecca Munsch, were selected for the all-tournament team.
Fayette Memorial Hospital Candy Stripers Helen Frerichs, Patsy Chernosky, Janet Zimmermann and Theresa Janacek attended the junior volunteers’ convention at the Texas Association of Hospital Auxiliaries at the Terrace Motor Hotel in Austin. Also at the luncheon sessions at the two-day event was Mrs. Walter Van Wart Jr., president of the Fayette Memorial Hospital Auxiliary that sponsored the candy striper program.
La Grange volunteer firemen were called out Wednesday to douse grassfires twice in the same area. The first call was to a Muldoon farm road south of West Point at 2:30 p.m. At 9:20 p.m., a call came in about a fire in an area two miles south of the earlier blaze on the SP right-of-way.
E.B. “Tex” Mayer received the honorary Lone Star Farmer Degree at the Area III Future Farmer Awards banquet in Brenham. The highest degree offered by the Texas Association of the Future Farmers of America, it was awarded to individuals who rendered outstanding service to Vocational Agriculture and FFA. Mr. Mayer had served as second vice president of the Fayetteville FFA chapter in 1938-39 and earned his Lone Star Farmer degree. Owner of Mayer’s Dairy Marts in La Grange and president of Consolidated Smokehouse, he also had provided facilities to train FFA judging teams.
The Rother place south of Holman occupied by the Joe Beyer family was destroyed by fire probably caused by an oil stove explosion. The house was engulfed in flames when Weimar volunteer firemen arrived. However, they were able to protect the neighboring structures from the flames.
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