The Smithville Times Transcript and Enterprise (Smithville, Tex.), Vol. 70, No. 27, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 6, 1961 Page: 1 of 8
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Smithville Times and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Smithville Public Library.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
T
NUMBER 27
THURSDAY. JULY 6, 1961
PRICE lOe PER COPY
tor-
Elected To Office
At Girls State
Smithville Goes Dial
Death Claims
a marvel to me how they do it,'*
at 7:30 A. M
VFW Convention
Services Held
performing
held
the
teach in-
of
Issue M. Raosch
Rites Held Here
parade
ville.
An Invitation
and
at the
at
Another Great
WinsAirConditioner
Grandson Arrives
In Bastrop For
Bob Tullis
Local Marine
Takes Part In
Graduates
With Honors
Leave Parking
For Customers
Mark Thomas
Is Hew Arrival
Little League
Games Slated
City Float
In Parades
FF'1
as pallbearers
Erhlich. . Stank
FIRST CALL—To Mayor George S. Woodress went the honor of
placing toe fint call on the new dial system shortly after the cut
over at 1:01 A. M. Sunday. The Mayor dialed the number of his
father, G> L. Woodress, getting him out of bed. He didn’t mind,
however, being a part of this history-making occasion.
contagious.
Whatever
they were
at strangely. There have been a
few minor wrinkles to be ironed
out but for the most part things
have been going along smoothly
all week.
District Manager E D. Peschel
of Southwestern Bell Telephone
Company, says this is his 17th
“cut over” and he has never seen
one go any smoother. “It's always
She at
of the
sessions
for
the
the early
the Lion*
practically
with the
..........iirj-Wiwwini,.
taaio
The
Hotel
THE SMITHVILLE TIMES, SMITHVILLE, TEXAS
—
Farmers Meeting
Set For July 17
There will be a Farmers’ Meet-
Mlcrofiljs s«rvic« & S laa Co. n
P. 0. Box 8066,
D&llaa, Texas
i
- -__. The Merchants won one game
of Foreign Wars and Ladier week and <tropped a couple
experimental conference of 94
girts, held at Baylor University
In 1941, to becoipe the largest
single extracurricular educational
program for high school girls in
Texas. This year. 399 girts were
in attendance, making a total of
than 5,400 girls in Texas
have participated
citizenship
are selected
reported
and put
of his
Parents Of Boby Boy
Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Cervantes
are the proud parents of a baby
boy bom at the Smithville Hoe
pital, July 4, 1901, at 3:00 P. M.
The baby weighed 6 pounds,' 5
ounces, and» has been named
Johnny Cervantes Jr.
losis on July 17, at 8:<X> P. M. in
the City Hall at Smithville.
Thia will be an educational
meeting on what the disease i*
and how it can be controlled.
More details will bo given iB
next week’s paper.
Smithville
Dr. and Mrs. James W. Thomas
are the proud parents of a baby
boy, born Monday afternoon
July 3, 1961, shortly before five
o’clock, at St. David's Hospital in
Austin. The baby weighed 7
pounds, 11 ounces, and has been
named Mark Winston Thomas.
The baby is also being wel-
cpmed by three brothers and two
sisters, and by his grandparents.
Rev. and Mrs. B. L. Peacock of
Smithville and Mr. and Mrs. L. L
Thomas of Dallas.
Swimming Pool
To Be Open
Tuesday Nights
For the benefit of those who
work and others who like to go
in swimming during
part of the evening,
Club Swimming Pool will be open
Tuesday nights for a few weeks.
This will be the only night that
the pool is open. The number of
people taking advantage of this
night use'of the pool will deter-
mine its continuance.
seen to strike nearby at the home
of Mrs. W R. Urner but
tunately no one was hurt.
Dr. J. W. Thomas
that lightning struck
out of commission one
radio receivers valued at $400.00.
The G. A. Camerons had their
television set put out of commis-
'5
he said, “but these boys really
know what they are doing.”
his wife.
Cistern;
The Smithville Times
The Times Absorbed The Transcript August, MM TRANSCRIPT ANO RNTBRPRisa The Timnil gtt«b4i»h«d gnlsrprlse established IMS
Tuesday the Merchants played
Weimar hexa "Just for fun." The
score was 0-7 in favor of Weimar,
but this game did not count in
the league standings.
Wednesday night the Merchants
were due to go to Weimar to
make up a game which had been
been rained out previously.
Thursday night, July 6, the tour-
nament starts in La Grange The
Merchants* first garde will be
with Plum at 8:00 P. M
Ln Grange maintains top place
in the league, Smithville second
and Weimar third.
There will be three Little Lea-
gue baseball games played here
in the next week, beginning to-
night (Thursday, July 6) at 6:30
P. M. Other games will be played
here July 10 and July 13. There
will ‘ ...
with
night.
Everyone is urged to come out
and see these youngsters in ac-
tion.
Vast CALL—Smithville Times Publisher C. K. Mick is shown making the last call on the old
telephone system shortly before 1:00 o’clock Sunday morning. Mrs. C. O. McBroom was the
operator placing the call at the “old-fashioned” switchboard. The call was to Mick's wife and was
“cut off” right in the middle of the conversation —Pictures by Fred Moree
Mrs. Joe L. Jenkins, 106 Cleve-
land, was the lucky winner of the
Fedders Air Conditioner given
away at Milton’s Saturday after-
noon.
Mrs. Jenkins could hardly be-
lieve her good fortune, especially
since she did not have an air
conditioner.
Farmer Fayette
Co. Commissioner
Succumbs July 4
Wallace Cherry, former Com-
missioner of Precinct 3 of Fayette
County for 16 yean, died at the
Fayette Memorial Hospital In
La Gnnge on Tuesday, July 4.
Mr. Cherry served his county
from 1944 until 1900.
Last rites were held on Wed-
nesday, July 5, at 4:00 P. M. at
the Muldoon Baptist Church with
Interment in the Pitman Ceme-
tery. Mr. Cherry was 63 yean
old La Grange Journal.
''Ilf. CNomf., • hro(her of
Mn. G. E. Ray of Smithville and
was well known here.
'■MIBB
who have participated in thia
top-level citizenship program.
Citizen* are selected at local
levels principally on a basis of
character and leadership from
students who have just completed
their junior year in high school
each year.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Others at-
tending Girls State from Smith-
ville were Dorothy Tramp. Dotty
Wampler, and Sandra Searcy. We
hope to have a report from all
four of the girls on their exper-
iences at Girls Slate.
The Chamber of Commerce
has written letters to merchants
and others along Main Street,
suggesting that owner sand em-
ployees endeavor to find parking
space for their cars other than
in front of stores, in order to
give customers an opportunity to
conveniently park when shop-
ping
The letter came as the result
of a meeting last Friday, attend-
ed by fifteen business men and
women, to discuss parking of
automobiles along Main Street,
between First and Fourth Streets.
An electrical storm and a
•mall twister did some damage
in this area last Thurday after
noon.
The twister struck at the Bill
I Urner home at Kirtley. taking
| the roof off of a small barn,
breaking limbs and uprooting
| small trees: Lightning was also
on to second place behind La
Grange in the South Central
Texas Amateur League.
Friday June, 30, the Merchants
went to Schulenburg to play a
make-up game which they lost
by a score of 6-4
- Sunday they came back into
the win column, hosting Bernardo
and they handed the visiting
team a 7-1 defeat.
Mrs. Fred Crocker received a
message Monday morning that
she Is a great grandmother for
the third time. Hef granddaugh-
ter, Betty Sellers (Mr*. Mike Sel-
ler*) of Manor, Texas, ha* another
son bom Monday, July 3rd In
Austin. The baby** two “big’*
brotb*r» are very happy .
Graveside services were
in Bastrop Tuesday afternoon for
Robert Alanson (Bob) Tullis. Jr,
with the Revt, Robert L Elliott,
pastor of the First Baptist
Church, officiating.
Burial was in Fairview Ceme-
tery.
Survivors
S/Sgt. Lee A. Dees, presently
stationed at Keesler Air Force
Base, Biloxi, Mississippi, and in
the 3400 School Squadron* was
among a group of students to
graduate with honors from Tech-
nician Instructors School after a
on Tuesday,
All members of the Smithville
Council Knights of Columbus are
invited to a barbecued chicken
supper Tuesday night, June 11,
at 7:00 o’clock at the Parish
Hall.
Officers will be installed
the forthcoming year
meeting at 8:00 P M.
Electrical Storm Does Damage Here
Smithville Times office, fusing
some wires together and putting
an electrical circuit out of com-
mission for several days before
the trouble could be found.
There were probably other in-
stances of lightning striking or
high winds doing damage in the
community, but these are one*
that we know of There was heavy
rain between Smithville and La
Grange but very little here.
Issac M (Rusty) Rausch, for
mer resident of Smithville until
1933, died Friday. June 30th at
Port Arthur, Texas, at the age of
62. He was a mechanic by trade.
The body was brought to Marrs
Funeral Home in Smithville
where services were held in the'
chapel Monday. July 3, 1961 at
11:00 A. M Rev. R. Don Hen-
dricks, pastor of the Smithville
Baptist Church, officiated at the
rites. Interment was made in Oak
Hill Cemetery. *
Serving as pallbearers were
Grover Erhlich. - Frank Rech,
Jim Sullivan, J A. Yentxen, J. W.
Beal and Garland Picou.
Mr. Rausch is survived by his
wife, Mrs Myrtle Rausch of PoxX.|ing on Bang’s Disease of Bruce-
Arthur; one son, Theodore
Rausch of Port Arthur; four
daughters, Mrs. Jim Sullivan of
Nederland, Mrs. J. W. Beal of
Port Arthur, Mrs. J. A. Yentxen
of Port Arthur, and Garland
Picou of Lawton, Oklahoma.
■
Held la San Antonio Merchaats Hang On Ta Second Place
The 41st Annual Convention of
the Department of Texas Vet- The Merchants won one game
erans of Foreign Ware and Ladiew week and dropped a couple
Auxiliary was held in San An-' others, but managed to hang
June 30 through July X
posts met in the Gunter
and the auxiliaries held
their meetings in the Anacacho
Room at the St. Anthony.
In a joint session on Friday
morning at the Gunter Hotel, W.
P. Strube, Jr., of Houston, presi-
dent of Mid American Life In-
surance Company, gave a very
forceful talk on anti-communism.
Strube is the secretary of the
Christian Anti-Communism Cru-
sade. He urged the government
to “prepare itself and to stand
ready to invoke the Monroe Doc-
trine in Cuba if such is neces
sary” and called for an end to
“appeasement of Fidel Castro.”
Father Mack Johnson, Houston,
state chaplain, held memorial
services for all deceased veterans
and members on Friday after-
noon in a joint meeting of post
and auxiliary members.
Mrs. Frances Millican of Flor-
ida, National president of the
Ladies Auxiliary, was presented
on Saturday to the auxiliary
members in a colorful ceremony
through the arch of flags. Mrs
Millican gave a very interesting
and informative talk on the
achievements of Ladies Auxiliary
throughout the nation,
tended the remainder
morning and afternoon
of the auxiliaries.
Rosemary Smith of El Paso,
who is National Auxiliary Coun
cil member, dedicated the new
50-star flags to the Department of
Texas Auxiliary in a very impres
sive ceremony on Friday.
In the parade on Saturday.
Mrs. Agnes Crawford of Smith
past District 5 president;
E. J. Krenek, Austin, District 5
Commander; and Patsy Thorn
blaum. Austin, rode on the Dis
trict 5 float. Miss Thornblaum
was the District 5 entry in the
beauty revue Friday night at the
Lone Star Brewery swimming
pool.
Mn. Katie Kuhlmann of Mason
was presented as the VFW
Mother of the Year at the Awards
Banquet at La Villita Assembly
Building on Saturday evening.
Mrs. Kuhlmann, the mother of
11 children of her own and six
step-children, had eight sons in
the armed services. Three of her
son* attended the ceremony Sat-
urday night. She was presented
by Robert Turner, Commander of
Post 8554, Mason, of District 23
Peter Stack of Houston wss
elected qow Commander of the
(Continued on Back Page)
Austin, Texas—Penny Pogue of
Smithville, a Citizen of the Amer-
ican Legion Auxiliary Bluebon-
net Girls State recently held in
Austin at the Texas School for the
* Blind, was elected as National
Party candidate. County of “Now"
County Clerk. She is the daugh-
ter of Mrs. C. O. Pogue and was
sponsored to Girls State by the
local American Legion Auxiliary
Unit 180.
Girls State was organized as a
national Americanism activity in
1937 by the American Legion
Auxiliary .Non-partisan and non-
political, the purpose of the Girls
State program is to provide cit-
zenship training for girls of
high school age, to afford them
an opportunity to live together
as a self-governing group and to
inform them of the duties, privi-
leges, rights snd responsibilities
which they ’
they become adult* They learn
the problems of government by
the same duties as
real office holders in the every
day world.
The 1961 Session of the Ameri
can Legion Auxiliary Bluebonnet
Girls State has grown from an
experimental conference
He was 1
son of Fred
Psencik.
Survivors include I
Mrs. Rosa Psencik of
five sons, Felix Psencik of Cis-
tern, Ladd Psencik of Smithville,
Adolph Psencik Jr of San An-
tonia, Max Psencik of Houston
and William Psencik of San An-
tonio; two daughters, Mrs. Rosa
Craney of Santa Anna, California
and Mrs Emma Stryh of Engle.
Texas; and one sister, Mrs. Mary
Adamcik of Smithville Also 10
grandchildren and 7 great grand-
children survive.
Eight of the deceased’s grand-
sons served as pall bearers. They
were Leo Psencik. Felix Psencik,
Johnny Psencik, Fred Psencik,
Paul Vrazel, Leonard Korenek,
Benny Orens, and Norman Letha.
be two games each night,
game time at 6:30 each
sion when lightning struck their
home, with a loud crackling
sound. Bubba Cameron was
watching “Band Stand” on tele-
vision when it happened. A
scorched place was found on the
Cameron’s roof where the lead-in
wires of the television entered.
The lightning struck at the
■
Sunday, July 2. was a big day
for Smithville a* an event hap-
pened <which directly or indirect-
ly, affects every man, woman and
child in the community. At 1:01
A. M. the “cut over” was made
from the old style telephones to
the modem new dial system.
“Happy Dialing” was the greet-
ing of the day a* new numbers
were tried out and to see if the
“dial really worked.”
Months and months of prepara-
tion by skilled workers went into
the changeover to dial, but the
actual “cut” took only a minute
or two. The last phone call on
the old system was placed by
Smithville Times Publisher C. K.
Mick to hi* wife just a few min-
ute* before TOO o’clock. Mr*. C.
O. McBroom handled the call at
the old switchboard. Then came
the dramatic moment when the
“cut” was made Everything went
dead on the line, and there was
a “lost” feeling for a few aec-
onds when one realized he was
without this vital mean* of com-
munication even momentarily.
In less time than it takes to
write this, the changeover was
completed, and Mayor George S.
Woodress was given the “Go
ahead" on the fint dial call
which was to his father, G. L
Woodress. Several other calls
were made within a few minutes,
and the excitement of the occa-
sion' seemed to be
It really worked!
doubts anyone had,
soon dispelled.
The wire* were
“burned up” Sunday
calls that were made. By Monday
anyone who admitted he hadn’t
yet made a dial call was looked
Assault Operation
Okinawa (FHTNO — Serving
with the Third Marine Division
on Okinawa in the Pacific, is
Marine Gunnery Sgt. Eugene J.
Thorn, son of Mr. and Mrs. El-
bert Thorn of Route 1, Smith-
ville, Texas.
The division recently returned
to Okinawa after completing
their phase in the largest com-
bined amphibious-vertical assault
exercise in the history of the
South East Asia Treaty Organiza-
tion, (SEATO).
The exercise, dubbed “Pony
Express”, combined British Royal
Marines, Royal Australian Infan-
try, Royal Thai Marines. Filipino
underwater demolition teams and
the Third Marine Division.
The expeditionary brigade of
^EATO, launched Ms “assault” tn
the Kota Belud area of North
Borneo.
The float representing the City
of Smithville won third place in
the Luling Watermelon Thump
Parade on Saturday, July 1st.
Miss Billie DeLoach, 1961 Jam-
boree Queen, rode on the floct.
In the Seguin parade on Tues-
day, July 4. the Smithville float
received honorable mention.
Again Miss DeLoach added charm
to the entry by riding on the
float.
Each of these honors carried
with it a nice ribbon award, of
which the town can be very
proud. There were over twenty
Chambers of Commerce from
various towns represented in the
parade at Seguin Tuesday.
Mr and Mrs F H Schaller,
Chamber of Commerce Manager
and wife, and Mrs Frances Doa
vers, C-C secretary, attended both
parades
In the Watermelon Show at the
Annual VFW Fourth of July cel-
ebration here Tuesday, Linda
Karcher showed the first place
Best No. 1 Black Diamond on a
graded basis; Carl Steinbach had
the second place melon in this
division and Howard Burns, third.
Mrs. Della Marrs and George
Burns of Marrs Funeral Home
bought the fint place melon for
$45 00 and paid $27.00 for the
second place melon. Linda’s wa-
termelon weighed 55 pounds, and
she has been nursing it along
for several weeks to have it
just tight for the show . She is
the daughter of Mr. and Mn.
in his family are
his mother. Mrs R A .Tullis, Sr
of Bastrop, and a sister, Mrs.
John Adkins of New Orleans, La
Mr Tullis received his educa
tion in the Houston public schools
and at Oklahoma A&M College,
where he was an engineering
student and a member of Sigma
Chi fraternity. He volunteered
for military service in February.
1942, and served during World
War II in North Africa and Italy,
and participated in the Omaha
Beach landing. He was hospitaliz-
ed in England and later in the
United States He made his home
here with his mother.
Mr. Tullis was a member
Calvary Episcopal Church.
—Bastrop Advertiser
The Tullis family formerly
lived in Smithville, when the
late R. A. Tulis Sr. was railroad-
ing out of here.
Rev. A. F. Michalk
Honored By Former
Congregation
The Rev. A. F. Michalk of
Grace Lutheran Church, Smith
ville, was honored this post
week by his first congregation in
Galveston, Texas.
St. John’s Lutheran Church,
Galveston, Texas, celebrated its
40th Anniversary on June 25th
and June 28th. The Rev. Michalk
was the first pastor of the con-
gregation, coming to St. John’s
directly from Concordia Seminary
in St. Louis, Mo. He was instru-
mental in the establishing of the
Congregation, the erection of the
first church building and the
opening of the Christian Day
School.
During the church’s special
services of June 28th, at which
Rev. and Mrs. Michalk were pre-
sent, St. John’s congregation pre-
sented Rev. Michalk with a certi-
ficate of recognition for faithful
service rendered the congrega-
tion during his 11 years in Gal-
veston.
The present pastor of St John’s
Lutheran in Galveston is the Rev.
J. W. Jackson, former pastor of
Grace Lutheran Chureh here in
ten weeks term,
June 27th . -J
Sgt. Decs will now
coming students about electron-
ic*.
He is the son-in-law of Mr. and
Mrs. Elzie Weaver of 205 Taylor
Street, Smithville. Sgt. Dees was
one of the very few who were
able to maintain such a high av-
erage througtwut this school. His
average was 91 Mi for the entire
t ime.
VOLUMB'jlO__
...... _______________________________
Prize Winning
Melon Brings $45
Clarence Karcher.
In the Best No. 1 Charleston
Grey class, according to grade,
Howards Burns Jr. showed the
first place melon which was pur-
chased by Beal Piggly Wiggly
for $21.00. Woody Burns showed
the second best Charleston Grey
which sold to Sims Chevrolet
Company, Bastrop, Johnnie Fal-
dyn, salesman, for $16.00. Connie
Karcher, the younger daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Karcher
showed the third place melon in
this category.
Louis Helmcamp showed the
first place melon in the Largest
Black Diamond Class, which sold
to Beal Piggly Wigglk for $26.00
The melon weighed 62 Mi pounds.
Paul Young of Upton, had the
second place 4nelon, a 59-pounder,
which was bought by Rabb and
Rosanky for $34.00. Earl Stein-
bach wan third place in this div-
ision with his 58 pound melon.
Adolph Meuth had first place
melen in the Largest Charleston
Grey class. His 44 Mi pound prize
winner was bought by Ed Tobias
of the Cen-Tex Livestock Com-
mission Company for $26.00 The
second largest Charleston Grey,
weighing 40Ms pounds, was exhi-
bited by Emil Reimers and sold
to Ed Tobias of Giddings for
$19.00. Victor Meuth had the
third place melon in this class,
a 39 pound Charleston Grey.
The third place melons ware
not sold at auction.
The Watermelon Show was
one of the highlights of the an-
nual show which brought crowds
from near and far to feast on
barbecued chicken with all the
trimmings and to participate in
__the day’s many activities.
wUl Maume wbanl to the pig scramble, Zane Gray
idults They learalof Smithville won In the smaller
boys class, and Becky Knippa of
Austin won in the smaller girls
class. In the older boys class,
George Zapalac of Smithville
won first place and Marilyn
Vinklarek of Cistern was the
winner in the older girls class.
The pigs for the race were
furnished by Louis Svoboda of
Oak Hill Grain Company; Howard
Burns; Ed Tobias, Cen-Tex Com-
mission Company of Giddings and
Dr. George M. Jones VFW Post
1309. ,
In the watermelon eating con-
test, Shirley Mikulec won for the
girls, and Cart Steinbach and
Lonnie Johnston tied for the
boys. T........
Mrs B W. Foster and Felix
Palis won the door prizes.
About 15 boys snd girls reach
ed the top in the pole climbing
contest, but their names were not
available.
Adolph Psencik
Adolph Psencik. 79, died at his
home on Route 2, Flatonia, June
30. 1961 at 7 30 A. M He had
gone out to milk the cow and
when he failed to return to the
house in a reasonable length of
time his wife went out to see
about him, to find him dead.
He apparently suffered a. heart
attack and died instantly
The body was brought to Marrs
Funeral Ifome in Smithville
where rosary was said Saturday
and Sunday nights. Requiem Mass
was offered at Sts. Peter and
Paul Catholic Church at Kovar
at 9.00 A. M. Monday. July 3,
with Rev. Clyde Holtman offi-
ciating Interment was in the
Kovar Catholic Cemetery.
A highly respected farmer, Mr.
Psencik was a native of Bastrop
County. He was born May 7,
1882. son of Fred and Tracy
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
The Smithville Times Transcript and Enterprise (Smithville, Tex.), Vol. 70, No. 27, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 6, 1961, newspaper, July 6, 1961; Smithville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1284802/m1/1/?q=%221961-07%22: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Smithville Public Library.