Michelle Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer in 2007, Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Michelle Marie Pfeiffer
Place of Birth: Santa Ana, Orange, California, United States
Date of Birth: April 29, 1958
Ethnicity: Swiss-German (one quarter), Swedish (one quarter), German, as well as distant English, Welsh, French, Dutch, and Irish
Michelle Pfeiffer is an American actress, singer, and producer. She is known for her roles in the films Batman Returns, The Witches of Eastwick, Dangerous Minds, and The Fabulous Baker Boys, among many others.
Michelle is the daughter of Donna Jean (Taverna) and Richard Pfeiffer. Her sister is actress Dedee Pfeiffer. Her family is from North Dakota, and Minnesota. Her paternal grandfather was of German descent, and her paternal grandmother had German, and smaller amounts of English, Welsh, French, Dutch, and Irish, ancestry. Her mother is of half Swiss-German and half Swedish descent. Michelle was raised partly in Midway City.
Michelle is married to writer and producer David E. Kelley, with whom she has two children, an adopted daughter, Claudia Rose Pfeiffer, and a biological son, John Henry.
Michelle’s patrilineal line can be traced to her great-great-great-grandparents, Christopher Henry Pfeiffer, who was born, c. 1815, and Mary Magdalene, who was born, c. 1817, both in Cölbe, Giessen, Hesse, Germany.
Michelle’s paternal grandfather was William J. Pfeiffer, Jr. (the son of Wilhelm/William Frederick John Pfeiffer and Susanna/Susan A. Mueller). Deedee’s grandfather William was born in Minnesota. Michelle’s great-grandfather Wilhelm was born in Cölbe, Giessen, Hesse, Germany, and was the son of Ernst Pfeiffer and Henrietta Borchert. Susanna was born in Minnesota, the daughter of John Henry Mueller, who was born in Germany, and of Catherine Myers/Meyer, who had roots in Prussia.
Michelle’s paternal grandmother was Dorothy Straley/Stanley (the daughter of James Bert/Burton Straley/Straly/Stanley and Blanche Hulda Griffith). Dorothy was born in North Dakota. Her parents and all of her grandparents were from Pennsylvania. Dorothy had German, and smaller amounts of English, Welsh, French, Dutch, and Irish, ancestry. James was the son of David Straley/Staley and Leah Stineman/Stinmass. Blanche was the daughter of Abner Messenheimer Griffith and Rachel Penrose; Rachel was the daughter of William Penrose and Rebecca Wright.
Michelle’s maternal grandfather was Jacob Bernhard/Bernard/Bernhardt “Jake” Taverna (the son of Jacob Taverna and Dorethea/Dorothea “Dorothy” Bernhard/Bernhardt). Michelle’s grandfather Jacob was born in New Rockford, Eddy Co, North Dakota, to Swiss parents. He was of Swiss-German descent. Jacob may have been related to the Von Taverna family of Switzerland. Michelle’s great-grandfather Jacob was born in Davos, Prättigau/Davos District, Grisons, the son of Hans Jory Taverna and Anna Engel, who were from Kublis and Frauenkirch, respectively, in Graubünden, Switzerland.
Michelle’s maternal grandmother was Delma Lillian/Lilian Hill (the daughter of John Sigurd Hill and Amanda Karolina/C. Olson). Delma was born in North Dakota. John was born in Minnesota, to Swedish parents, Johan Gustaf Peterson, from Lessebo, Kronoberg County, and Martha Kristina Jonsdotter, who was born in Tolg, Kronoberg County. Amanda was born in Klackhult Södergård, Hornaryd, Kronoberg County, Sweden, the daughter of Sven Johan Olsson/Olson and Sara Katarina Petersdotter.
Pfeiffer (right) with daughter Claudia Rose and husband David E. Kelley in 2012, photo by kathclick/ Bigstock
Sources: Genealogy of Michelle Pfeiffer – https://www.geni.com
Michelle’s paternal grandmother, Dorothy Straley/Stanley, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Marriage record of Michelle’s paternal great-grandparents, James Bert/Burton Straley/Straly/Stanley and Blanche Hulda Griffith – https://www.familysearch.org
Michelle’s paternal great-grandfather, James Bert/Burton Straley/Straly/Stanley, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of Michelle’s paternal great-grandmother, Blanche Hulda Griffith – http://blackburn-tree.org
Genealogy of Michelle’s paternal great-great-great-great-grandfather, Thomas Penrose (through Thomas’s sister) – https://www.wikitree.com
Michelle’s maternal grandfather, Jacob Bernhard/Bernard/Bernhardt “Jake” Taverna, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Michelle’s maternal grandmother, Delma Lillian/Lilian Hill, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
« The ancestors of her maternal grandfather were all from the area of Davos in the Canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. Their religion was evangelical and they were ethnic Germans, with some influx of Räto-Romans, as is shown by the name Taverna ».
From the essay:
Eriksson, Dick and Lindwall, Bo (2007) “Michelle Pfeiffer’s Ancestors,” Swedish American Genealogist: Vol. 27 : No. 1 , Article 10
Conclusion: Michelle Pfeiffer has some and/or distant Romansh ancestors on her Swiss side.
genealogy of Michelle’s paternal great-grandmother, Blanche Hulda Griffith – http://blackburn-tree.org/genealogy/pedigree.php?personID=I248962&tree=blackburnAbner M. Griffith
genealogy of Michelle’s paternal great-great-great-great-grandfather, Thomas Penrose (through his sister, Phoebe Penrose) – https://www.wikitree.com/genealogy/Penrose-Family-Tree-15
link: http://blackburn-tree.org/genealogy/pedigree.php?personID=I248962&tree=blackburn
She is a right old mix, but with a surname like Pfeiffer (English: piper), she is definitely for the most part, German.
I’m relatively closely related to this woman, although she does not know who I am. My grandmother was cousins with her mother or father, is, I think how it goes… Anyway, I came here to learn more about my own ancestory on the Pfeiffer side, but it turns out there is not much information here compared to what I already have in our “family book”. But still, a nice site!
oops! sorry for the double post! D:
I’m relatively closely related to this woman, although she does not know who I am. My grandmother was cousins with her mother or father, is, I think how it goes… Anyway, I came here to learn more about my own ancestory on the Pfeiffer side, but it turns out there is not much information here compared to what I already have in our “family book”. But still, a nice site! Maybe I will just shell out the cash to have my dna tested anyway since I’ve not a clue who my father is, anyway! Just a little concerned about privacy issues. I don’t want some company making clones of me later on in the future… I’ve already served enough time on this planet lol! Jk, but seriously it just seems weird to me for some reason… not sure why.
Hi Enigmato. glad you like the site! Hope you can find your roots more.