Probably the most committed Forteans in Chapter Two—the San Francisco Fortean Society—were Garen and Kirk Drussai, a married couple who lived in the Bay Area. They were the first ever to put their unborn child up for membership in the Fortean Society. Piecing together their lives has been difficult, especially for Kirk, who seems to have left few traces. But here’s what I know so far—or think I know.
There is some confusion about who the Drussais even were. I can be sure that Garen was born 17 June 1916 in the Bronx: all relevant documents confirm this. But what was her name? According to her death certificate and the birth certificate of her son, Garen’s maiden name was Lewis. A search of the census records, however, fails to find any Garen Lewises—Garen is an extremely uncommon name. A clue to her identity can be found in her social security application—there she gives her name as Clara Hettler and her parents as Benjamin Hettler and Annie (Besner) Hettler. The 1920 and 1930 census does record a family of Hettlers living in the Bronx, headed by Benjamin and Annie (Besner), with a daughter, Clara, born about 1916.
Clara Hettler filled out her social security application in December 1936. It seems very possible that she changed her name in the late 1930s when Hettler—a variation of Hitler—would have been a very inconvenient name to carry. (It is also possible that she married in the 1930s and later divorced.) Further confirmation that she Clara and Garen are indeed the same person come from a 1966 obituary for the eldest of the three Hettler sisters listed on the 1920 census, Estelle. The article lists her parents and her sisters as Gertrude, the middle child, and Garen Drussai, indicating that although the rest of the family did not change its name—except upon marriage—they accepted their youngest daughter’s new name (at this point, Garen had married and divorced Kirk, and came by Drussai that way).
Anthony Boucher, who knew Garen Drussai in the 1950s, at least, said that she was Hungarian. The census gives her parents birthplace as Austria. Both may be correct, given the union of Austria and Hungary in the years between World War II and the inexactitude of the census. Likely, Benjamin and Annie immigrated in 1900. The 1910 census gives their immigration date as 1904—in contrast to later census data—but also note that they had an 8 year-old daughter who had been born in New York. This was Etha. It is possible that Etha was born out of wedlock, as the age of first marriage for Benjamin was given as 24 and Annie as 20, which would have put their wedding in 1908. It’s also possible the census got the data wrong.
Neither Benjamin or Annie were naturalized as of 1910, although they both spoke, read, and wrote English. Their native tongue, however, was Yiddish and the children were taught Yiddish in addition to English. Benjamin was a furrier, his occupation variously given as furrier or nailer in a fur factory. They lived in an ethnic enclave dominated by Russians, Austrians, and immigrants from Bohemia. By 1930, Estelle and Gertrude had also obtained jobs, contributing to the family income as Stenographers.
By late 1936, Clara was still in the Bronx, at 1695 Andrews Avenue, very near where the Sedgwick Library is located now. It is not clear whether she was living with her parents or was on her own—the address was different than the family’s in 1930, but they all may have moved, or just Clara may have. She was employed by the Richard Steinweg Studio at 110 W. 40th Street, New York, about ten miles South and right across from Charles Fort’s old haunt, the main New York Public Library Branch. Steinweg was apparently a fashion stylist of some sort, and his office was also very near the garment district. The exact nature of Clara’s work at the time is uknown.
At some point between the end of 1936 and the late 1940s, Clara Hettler drastically changed her life. The exact order of events is unknown, but she stopped being Clara Hettler and became Garen—maybe Garen Lewis, certainly Garen Drussai. And After a life in New York she crossed the country and took up residence in Hollywood, California.
There is some confusion about who the Drussais even were. I can be sure that Garen was born 17 June 1916 in the Bronx: all relevant documents confirm this. But what was her name? According to her death certificate and the birth certificate of her son, Garen’s maiden name was Lewis. A search of the census records, however, fails to find any Garen Lewises—Garen is an extremely uncommon name. A clue to her identity can be found in her social security application—there she gives her name as Clara Hettler and her parents as Benjamin Hettler and Annie (Besner) Hettler. The 1920 and 1930 census does record a family of Hettlers living in the Bronx, headed by Benjamin and Annie (Besner), with a daughter, Clara, born about 1916.
Clara Hettler filled out her social security application in December 1936. It seems very possible that she changed her name in the late 1930s when Hettler—a variation of Hitler—would have been a very inconvenient name to carry. (It is also possible that she married in the 1930s and later divorced.) Further confirmation that she Clara and Garen are indeed the same person come from a 1966 obituary for the eldest of the three Hettler sisters listed on the 1920 census, Estelle. The article lists her parents and her sisters as Gertrude, the middle child, and Garen Drussai, indicating that although the rest of the family did not change its name—except upon marriage—they accepted their youngest daughter’s new name (at this point, Garen had married and divorced Kirk, and came by Drussai that way).
Anthony Boucher, who knew Garen Drussai in the 1950s, at least, said that she was Hungarian. The census gives her parents birthplace as Austria. Both may be correct, given the union of Austria and Hungary in the years between World War II and the inexactitude of the census. Likely, Benjamin and Annie immigrated in 1900. The 1910 census gives their immigration date as 1904—in contrast to later census data—but also note that they had an 8 year-old daughter who had been born in New York. This was Etha. It is possible that Etha was born out of wedlock, as the age of first marriage for Benjamin was given as 24 and Annie as 20, which would have put their wedding in 1908. It’s also possible the census got the data wrong.
Neither Benjamin or Annie were naturalized as of 1910, although they both spoke, read, and wrote English. Their native tongue, however, was Yiddish and the children were taught Yiddish in addition to English. Benjamin was a furrier, his occupation variously given as furrier or nailer in a fur factory. They lived in an ethnic enclave dominated by Russians, Austrians, and immigrants from Bohemia. By 1930, Estelle and Gertrude had also obtained jobs, contributing to the family income as Stenographers.
By late 1936, Clara was still in the Bronx, at 1695 Andrews Avenue, very near where the Sedgwick Library is located now. It is not clear whether she was living with her parents or was on her own—the address was different than the family’s in 1930, but they all may have moved, or just Clara may have. She was employed by the Richard Steinweg Studio at 110 W. 40th Street, New York, about ten miles South and right across from Charles Fort’s old haunt, the main New York Public Library Branch. Steinweg was apparently a fashion stylist of some sort, and his office was also very near the garment district. The exact nature of Clara’s work at the time is uknown.
At some point between the end of 1936 and the late 1940s, Clara Hettler drastically changed her life. The exact order of events is unknown, but she stopped being Clara Hettler and became Garen—maybe Garen Lewis, certainly Garen Drussai. And After a life in New York she crossed the country and took up residence in Hollywood, California.
