Cleve Marie Boutell was born in Minnesota on March 27, 1918. She was a lesbian writer who wrote fictional short stories and novels, including The Yellow Basket (1950), Late in August (1956) and A Certain Discontent (1992). She was an avid book collector, an active member of the Feminist Writers Guild, and served as art director for Datamation Magazine. She lived most of her life in Pasadena, California and supported the Pasadena bookstore Page One--Books For and By Women. Cleve died on March 19, 2011 in South Pasadena, California.

Hortense "Bo" Boutell, Cleve's sister, was born on February 12, 1913 in Minnesota. Hortense was active in the United States Army and was the first woman to be accepted into the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. She became a lieutenant colonel, the highest position a woman could obtain at the time, and worked as the Army's first female logistician. After retiring from the Army, Hortense received her MFA from George Washington University and worked as a stained glass artist. She also was a producer for the German film company Ariadne Films. Hortense died on July 15, 2006 in Washington D.C.

Sources:

Chiara, Adriana. Martial Artist. Crystal City etc. Summer 1993: 10-11, 13. Print.

Box 4, Folder 8, Cleve Boutell Papers, Coll2013-114, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.