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News Article: Wife, Son See Elsie Man Killed - Elsie - A farm wagon
broke loose on the highway near Shepardsville over the weekend, killing the operator of the Elsie Theater but sparing the lives of his wife and son who rode beside him. Leon Robbe, 37, of East Lansing, took the impact of the wagon in the chest and died instantly as his body was thrown into the rear seat. Seated beside him were his wife, Carolyn, and a son, Ronnie, 14, who were not injured. The accident happened at 5:30 Saturday afternoon . Robbe was driving west on M-21, on his way to Elsie to open his theater. Fredrick Wadsworth, of Ovid, was driving immediately in front of Robbe and stated that both cars were going about 55 miles an hour. Coming from the opposite direction was a tractor driven by Jack Miller of Route 2, Ovid. The tractor was pulling a corn picker and the wagon. The wagon broke loose as it neared the cars and scraped the side of the Wadsworth vehicle. It then plunged into the left front door of the Robbe car. The crash was investigated by Clinton County deputy sheriff Frederick Corson and by Coroner Dave Houghton. Funeral Services for Mr. Robbe will be held Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the St. Cyril Church at Bannister with the Rev. Fr. Walkowiak officiating. Burial will be in the Mt. Rest cemetery at St. Johns. The body rests at the Carter Funeral Home at Elsie where the Rosary will be recited at 8 p.m. tonight. he was born in Gratiot County on July 12, 1918, the son of Oscar and Zulma Robbe, graduated from the Ashley High School and lived in Elba Township until 1940. His marriage to Carolyn Holechek took place Aug. 25, 1940 at Bannister. He was released from military service in 1946 and bought the theatre at Elsie in 1948. He bought a drive-in theater north of St. Johns in 1950 and it sold it to build one south of St. Johns in 1953. He was a member of the Elsie post of the American Legion. Surviving are the widow; two sons, Ronnie and Dennis; the parents, of Elsie; a brother, George, rural Ashley; and a sister Mrs. Eugene Heinze of rural Bannister. (The Owosso Argus-Press 11/28/55)
Status: Gone, site is now a golf driving range. (Michigandriveins.com 9/98)
Update: It opened in 1955 and closed in 1985. (Aaron 11/6/05)
Update: The recently posted news article on the death of owner Leon Robbe indicated he bought the Family Drive-In in 1950. So it would have opened in 1950 or sooner, not 1955 as previously stated. (Michigandriveins.com 4/18/10)
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