Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Glen Arthur Kroksh 1912 - 1971


Glen was born 28 September 1912 in Elwood, Box Elder, Utah. Glen's grandfather Charles Augustus Kroksh immigrated from Freigheine Germany to Elwood, Utah. Charles died in Laguna Beach in 1944 in a freak accident. Glen's father Charles Arthur Kroksh was born in Elwood, Utah and died in Los Angeles in 1966. He was an automobile mechanic who lived near and had a shop on Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA. His parents later built a home located where the 10 and the 405 freeways meet. When Glen was growing up his father was an inactive member of the church. Carol reports that when his father was a deacon he, with other deacons, went into the chapel kitchen and ate all of the ice cream before a ward party. The bishop was so incensed that he reprimanded the boys in front of the whole congregation. Glenn's father never returned to church.

 Glen fell in love and married Audrey Kroksh 18 December 1941 in the Mesa Arizona Temple. They could not have children so they adopted Gerry in 1954. Gerry was of German heritage just like Glen. The mother was a woman in the ward according to Carol Gardiner, Glen's sister-in-law.

Glen was handy with his hands and loved trains, fixing watches, working on cars and electrical projects. He made a nifty can dispenser for food storage in his hallway. For vacations they enjoyed to go out to Shoshone in the Majove Desert. Glen was a warm and caring person who was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He worked as a projectionist at the Roxie Theatre at 518 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA

In 1971 while still working at the Roxie, Glen died of a heart attack while reloading ammo in his attic in their 2821 Shadowlawn home and had to be lifted out by his brother-in-law James Gardiner and a police officer. Gerry was working at Kentucky Fried Chicken at the time and was called. When he arrived he was met by James, Carol and the policeman. Glen had had some indications of heart disease but the family was taken by surprise and many mourned the loss of this great uncle, friend, husband and father. Even today many in the Gardiner family consider Glen as their "favorite uncle."

The Roxie:
The Roxie Theater was built in 1932 on the site of the razed Quinn's Superba Theater. The Roxie was the last of the great movie palaces to be built because the Los Angeles movie audience developed a preference for Hollywood Blvd. venues like Graumans' Chinese and the Egyptian theaters. 518 South Broadway. Converted to retail shops.The Roxie had a seating capacity of 1,600 when it opened and was noted for its Art Deco or Zigzag Moderne style, including its stepped roofline, angular grillwork, chevron ornament, and terrazzo sunburst in the sidewalk. The theater's sleek Streamline Moderne ticket booth was removed when the theater was converted to retail use. The theater is the only art deco style theatre on Broadway.

Memory of projectionist "Denny906" on Apr 21, 2006:
"I worked the Roxie about April or May in 1976 for two weeks when the projectionist took a vacation. There was three movies on the program. During those two weeks I remember running Kingdom of the Spiders, Deranged, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Nightmare Honeymoon and several kung fu movies. The booth was small and narrow with three super simplex projectors and two of the simplex arc light lamp houses were converted to xenon. Even with this setup we still made change-overs on two thousand foot reels. I never went into the auditorium but only saw it through the booth ports. The auditorium had a balcony and the screen was kinda small. The decor color was crimson red. I worked the day shift."

Glen's Grandparents
Glen's parents:
Vera Brough 1993-1977
  Glen Arthur Kroksh 1912-1971 (autobiography)
  Elizabeth Kroksh (Sprange) 1914-1990


Documents related to Glen Kroksh:


1912 Glen's birth certificate





1916 Glen and Elizabeth Kroksh


1916 Glen and Elizabeth Kroksh

1919 ?, Elizabeth, Glen Kroksh

1930 US Census, Los Angeles, Ca

1930 Fairfax High School




1936 LA City Directory




1939 Utah


1939 letter to Audrey


1940 Hollywood Ward singles group, back row second from
left is Harry Beitler, front row left, Glen Kroksh, next to Glen, Gwen Nobel
two more to the right Wendel Nobel front row second from right, Audrey Scholl, far
right bottom row last name Reed, very good friends with
the Kroksh's and the Gardiners.



1941 Glen and Audrey



1941 Glen and Audrey marriage, Mesa, AZ

1941 Tithing receipt

1942 Draft registration page 1

1942 Draft registration, page 2


1944 Laguna Beach death
Glen's Union

1940s Glen and Audrey


1949, Santa Monica Beach, Audrey
and Glen in back, with Audrey's sister
Elaine Scholl (Gardiner) in front of them
and Kent Gardiner in front of Elaine


1950's Glen at 2749 Lakewood home




1946 Audrey, Glen and their
nephew Kent Gardiner

1955 Gerry and Glen

1956 Glen and Gerry



1958 April, Gerry in front of his home
at 2921 Shadowlawn, LA, CA.

1958 LtR James Gardiner, Mark, Sandra, Audrey
Kent, Janice Elaine, Janice, Gerry, Glen

1959 LtR, park employee, Gerry, Glen, James Gardiner


Roxie Theater, Los Angeles, CA
1960s Roxie Theater, Hour of the Gun
was released in 1967



Inside the Roxie theater

1940s Glen and Audrey

1958 LtR, Audrey, Gerry, Glen Kroksh


1956 Glen, Gerry


1960s Glen

1957 Gerry and Glen, Elysian Park Ward building, LA, CA

1960 Glen Kroksh

1960s Glen working as a projectionist at the Roxie Theater

1962 LtR Mark Gardiner, Gerry and Glen Kroksh

1967 LtR, George Scholl, Glen and Audrey Kroksh

1970 LtR Audrey, Glen, Gerry
Glen's headstone