k.d. lang
lang in 1993, photo by Prphotos
Birth Name: Kathryn Dawn Lang
Place of Birth: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Date of Birth: November 2, 1961
Ethnicity: German, English, one eighth Norwegian, one eighth Icelandic, Irish, Scottish, Dutch, Northern Irish
k.d. lang is a Canadian pop and country singer, songwriter, and actress. Her songs include “Constant Craving” and “Miss Chatelaine.” She is a mezzo-soprano. She performed at the closing ceremony of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, and “Hallelujah” at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is an activist for animal rights, gay rights, and Tibetan human rights.
k.d. is the daughter of Audrey Alberta and Adam Frederick Lang, who owned a drug store. Her family moved to Consort, Alberta, during her infancy, and lived on the prairies. She is a tantric practitioner of the old school of Tibetan Buddhism.
k.d. has said that she also has Russian Jewish and Sioux Native Canadian ancestry. It is not clear if these two ancestral groups have been verified/documented as being in her family tree. None of her recent ancestors were of Russian Jewish or Sioux descent.
k.d.’s paternal grandfather was Frederick John “Fred” Lang (the son of Christopher Lang and Sarah Etta Markell). Fred was born in Osnabruck Township, now part of South Stormont, Ontario. Christopher was the son of Frederick Lang, who was mostly of German and Dutch descent, and of Ann Janet Vance, who was of Northern Irish descent. Etta was the daughter of John Nelson Markell and Sarah Etta Cryderman.
k.d.’s paternal grandmother was named Clara Fern Simonton. Clara was born in North Dakota, U.S., and was adopted by Adam William Simonton and Martha Matilda Thompson in Strathcona, Alberta. Clara was the biological daughter of Charles Knudson, who was born in Minnesota, to Norwegian parents; and of Gudrun “Emma” Skulason, who was born in Skagafjarðarsýsla, Iceland.
k.d.’s maternal grandfather was Guy Marshall Bebee (the son of Solomon Fenton Bebee and Jane McLellen). Guy was born in Abinger Township, now part of Addington Highlands, Ontario. Solomon was the son of Ethel Cushman Beebe and Dorcas Abigail Churchill. Jane was born in Dumfries-shire, Scotland, the daughter of George McLellan and Margaret Black.
k.d.’s maternal grandmother was Myrtle Josephine Youmans (the daughter of Joseph Henry Youmans and Josephine Lane). Myrtle was born in Denbigh, now part of Addington Highlands, Ontario. k.d.’s great-grandfather Joseph was the son of David Youmans and Samantha Ann Maybee. k.d.’s great-grandmother Josephine was the daughter of William Lane, who was born in Cork, Ireland, and of Janet Amanda Weese.
Sources: Marriage announcement of k.d.’s parents – https://www.newspapers.com
k.d.’s father on the 1926 Canadian Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of k.d.’s paternal grandfather, Frederick John Lang – https://www.familysearch.org
k.d.’s paternal grandmother, Clara Fern Simonton, on the 1906 Canadian Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Obituary of k.d.’s paternal grandmother, Clara Fern (Simonton) Lang – https://www.newspapers.com
Genealogy of k.d.’s paternal great-grandfather, Adam William Simonton – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogies of k.d.’s mother (focusing on her own mother’s side) – http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com
https://www.wikitree.com
k.d. lang is Icelandic because her grandmother, Clara Simonton Lang, was born in North Dakota and adopted by Adam and Martha Simonton in Alberta, Canada. Clara’s biological father was Charles Knudson, who was born in Minnesota to Norwegian parents, and Clara’s mother was Gudrun “Emma” Skulason who was born in Skagafjarðarsýsla, Iceland and died in North Dakota in 1900. After Emma died the Knudsons moved to Strathcona, Alberta, Canada, which is where Clara was adopted. However, I haven’t found any evidence of Russian-Jewish or Sioux.
Lang is kinda of a Chinese surname.
Audrey’s middle name is Alberta.
k.d.’s paternal grandfather was Frederick John “Fred” Lang (the son of Christopher Lang and Sarah Etta Markell). k.d.’s grandfather Fred was born in Osnabruck Township (now part of South Stormont), Ontario. Christopher was the son of Frederick Lang, who was mostly of German and Dutch descent, and of Ann Janet Vance, who was of Northern Irish descent. Etta was the daughter of John Nelson Markell and Sarah Etta Cryderman.
k.d.’s paternal grandmother was Clara Fern Simonton (the daughter of Adam William Simonton and Martha Matilda Thompson). Clara was born in Gardenville, New York, U.S. Adam was the son of Adam Simonton and Elizabeth Ford.
Guy was born in Abinger Township (now part of Addington Highlands), Ontario.
Myrtle was born in Denbigh (now part of Addington Highlands), Ontario.
Marriage announcement of k.d.’s parents – https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29526322/bebee-hardisty-29-jul-1946/
k.d.’s father on the 1926 Canadian Census – https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPLV-GJZ6
Genealogy of k.d.’s paternal grandfather, Frederick John Lang – https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/KG9S-L34
k.d.’s paternal grandmother, Clara Fern Simonton, on the 1906 Canadian Census – https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHVX-V38
Obituary of k.d.’s paternal grandmother, Clara Fern (Simonton) Lang – https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29475803/edmonton-journal/
Genealogy of k.d.’s paternal great-grandfather, Adam William Simonton – https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/KNH1-8MW
I don’t see Russian Jewish, Icelandic, nor Sioux Native American so far, unless Martha’s ancestry could be further expanded, though she is listed as ethnic Irish on Canadian census records.