Never seemingly the writer he wanted to be, but nonetheless a Fortean.
Frank Frederick Clouser was born 29 March 1909 in New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania. His mother was the former Mary C. Zerfing, his father Harry A. Clouser. Harry was in the lumber business and also a traveling locomotive inspector for the General Equipment Company of New York. Likely it was because of his itinerant work schedule that Mary and Frank lived with her parents, Peter Zerfing and Amanda (Kost) Zerfing in Center, Pennsylvania. By 1910, Peter had retired from farming, owning his home free and clear. He was 65, Amanda 54. They were still there in 1920, along with another of Peter’s grandsons, the 22 year-old Neil Floerchinger.
Shortly after the census, Harry became ill with what was called anemia. He was sick for some 18 months before dying 13 November 1922, aged 51. Frederick—as he was going by then—was his only child. He was thirteen (although the Harrisburg Evening News reported him as 14). I do not know anything more definitive about Clousers childhood. Presumably, he attended local schools, though he may also have gone to high school on Bethlehem. His grandmother, Amanda, died in September 1929. The 1930 census has only Peter, Mary, and Frederick living together in Peter’s house. None of the family members listed a job. F. Frederick, as he was called here—and would call himself professionally—was 21.
Frank Frederick Clouser was born 29 March 1909 in New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania. His mother was the former Mary C. Zerfing, his father Harry A. Clouser. Harry was in the lumber business and also a traveling locomotive inspector for the General Equipment Company of New York. Likely it was because of his itinerant work schedule that Mary and Frank lived with her parents, Peter Zerfing and Amanda (Kost) Zerfing in Center, Pennsylvania. By 1910, Peter had retired from farming, owning his home free and clear. He was 65, Amanda 54. They were still there in 1920, along with another of Peter’s grandsons, the 22 year-old Neil Floerchinger.
Shortly after the census, Harry became ill with what was called anemia. He was sick for some 18 months before dying 13 November 1922, aged 51. Frederick—as he was going by then—was his only child. He was thirteen (although the Harrisburg Evening News reported him as 14). I do not know anything more definitive about Clousers childhood. Presumably, he attended local schools, though he may also have gone to high school on Bethlehem. His grandmother, Amanda, died in September 1929. The 1930 census has only Peter, Mary, and Frederick living together in Peter’s house. None of the family members listed a job. F. Frederick, as he was called here—and would call himself professionally—was 21.