Karen Akers

Akers in 2013, photo by Prphotos

Birth Name: Karen Orth-Pallavicini

Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Birth: October 13, 1945

Ethnicity:
*father – German, as well as possibly Austrian and distant Swiss-Italian
*maternal grandfather – Scottish, Irish
*maternal grandmother – Russian, Norwegian, French

Karen Akers is an American actress and singer.

Karen is the daughter of Mary Louise (Adams), a chaplain, and Heinrick Christian Orth-Pallavicini. Her father was German, and was born in Breslau. He may have also had Austrian and distant Swiss-Italian ancestry. He was from European nobility, but dropped his title when he came to the U.S. Karen’s mother was American. Karen was raised a Roman Catholic.

Karen is married to Kevin Patrick Power, the vice president of the satellite communications company Orion Network Systems. She has two children with her former husband Jim Akers.

Karen has stated:

On my mother’s side, my grandmother is Russian, Norwegian, and French and my grandfather is Scots-Irish. My father’s side is Austrian on one side and Swiss-Italian on the other.

Karen has also said:

I grew up feeling more French than American in a funny way. My father’s European, and my grandmother’s Russian, and she and my mother spoke French all the time when I was growing up.

Karen’s paternal grandfather was named Georg Heinrich Orth. Georg was born in Nürnberg, Germany.

Karen’s paternal grandmother was Jenny Lydia Pallavicini (the daughter of Hermann Franz Teodor Pallavicini and Anna Mann). Jenny was born in Germany. Hermann was born in Waidhofen an der Thaya, Austria, the son of Johann Ludwig August Emanuel Pallavicini, who was born in Berlin, Germany, and of Karoline Pauline Auguste Kochius. Anna was also born in Berlin.

Karen’s maternal grandfather was James Donald Adams (the son of James Adams and Mary Louise Barron/Barrow). Karen’s grandfather James was born in New York, and was an editor, writer, and a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. Karen’s great-grandfather James was Scottish. Mary Louise was born in New York, to Irish parents.

Karen’s maternal grandmother was Elvine Georgievna Simeon (the daughter of George Simeon and Caroline Huldman). Elvine was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Sources: Marriage record of Karen’s parents – https://www.familysearch.org

Karen’s mother on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Karen’s maternal grandfather, James Donald Adams, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Biographical profile of Karen’s maternal grandfather, James Donald Adams – https://prabook.com