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| Jasonville's AmuseU Theater |
| The AmuseU Theater, shown here during the 1954 JHS Homecoming Parade, was located at 117 W. Main Street. The Masonic Lodge was, and still is located upstairs over it. The building is now part of the Shakamak Family Restaurant. The theater was owned and operated by the Passen family, who lived at 224 Hickory Street, where I, Max Griffith, now live. Mrs. Passen, or Nellie, as everyone called her, was loved by everyone in Jasonville. She was from Germany originally, and spoke with an accent, and had a wonderful sense of humor. I don't think there were too many children, in Jasonville, who Mrs. Passen hadn't let into the show free. If there were any empty seats left, after the feature film began, she would allow any child in free to watch the movie. I'm sure she kept a lot of children out of trouble, and off the streets, by her generosity. Her grandson, Con Passen, was one of my best friends, and he often stayed with his grandparents. I remember when Con and I were in the first grade, his grandmother would walk him to school each morning, while he was staying with her, and they always came by for me. Con's parents, Bill and Merna Passen, also worked at the theater and Con had to stay there when they were working. I would go up a lot of nights and he and I would play around the front of the theater because he wasn't allowed to leave. I sure got to watch a lot of movies with Con. The Passens finally purchased the larger Cresent Theater, across the street, and the Western Auto store purchased the AmuseU, and expanded their store into the building. |
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