Jordin Sparks

Sparks in 2011, s_bukley / Shutterstock.com

Birth Name: Jordin Brianna Sparks

Place of Birth: Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.

Date of Birth: December 22, 1989

Ethnicity:
*father – African-American
*mother – German, English, Scottish, Norwegian

Jordin Sparks is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She won the sixth season of the show American Idol (in 2007). See other American Idol winners here.

Jordin is the daughter of Jodi (Weidmann) and NFL player Phillippi Sparks. Her father is African-American. Her mother, who is white, has German, English, Scottish, and Norwegian ancestry.

Jordin is married to fitness model Dana Isaiah Thomas, with whom she has a son.

Jordin’s paternal grandmother is Guinetta Marie Sparks/Moss (the daughter of Mildred Otheree Climmons/Sparks). Mildred was the daughter of Edna P. Climmons. Edna re-married to Royal/Roy Sparks.

Jordin’s maternal grandfather is Jim Wiedmann (the son of Otto Wiedmann and Leah Gladys Krause). Otto was born in North Dakota, the son of Phillip/Philip Wiedmann and Dorothea/Dorothy Müller/Mueller, who were ethnic Germans from Russia. Leah was also born in North Dakota, the daughter of Jacob Krause and Frieda Bender, who were also from ethnic German families from Russia, from Odessa.

Jordin’s maternal grandmother is Pamela Rutherford (the daughter of James Marvin Rutherford and Gladys I. Gilleshammer). James had English, Scottish, and German ancestry, and was the son of John Nichol Rutherford and Johannah/Hannah Antonette Dahl. Gladys was of Norwegian descent, the daughter of Peter Gilleshammer and May Agnes C. Olsen.

Sources: Genealogy of Jordin Sparks – https://www.geni.com

Obituary of Jordin’s paternal great-grandmother, Mildred Otheree Climmons/Sparks LaVow – https://www.findagrave.com

Jordin’s paternal great-great-grandmother, Edna P. Climmons, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Obituary of Jordin’s paternal great-great-grandmother, Edna P. (Climmons) Sparks Heath – https://www.newspapers.com