Mika Boorem
Boorem in 2010, photo by Prphotos.com
Birth Name: Mika Sue Boorem
Place of Birth: Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
Date of Birth: August 18, 1987
Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish, Danish
Mika Boorem is an American actress and filmmaker. She has starred in the films The Education of Little Tree, Jack Frost, Mighty Joe Young (1998), The Patriot (2000), Along Came a Spider, Hearts in Atlantis, Blue Crush, Sleepover (2004), Augusta, Gone; John Carpenter’s The Ward, and Hollywood.Con, the latter of which she also directed and co-wrote; and on the shows Touched by an Angel, Ally McBeal, and Dawson’s Creek.
Mika’s mother is from an Ashkenazi Jewish family, her father is of Danish descent.
I couldn’t find any Danish or Jewish ancestry. Her father is mostly of German, English, and some Irish descent. Her mother has English, Irish, German, and distant French ancestry.
The age gap between Mika and her paternal grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather is quite interesting.
Mika’s paternal grandfather was John Sedgwick Boorem (the son of John Boorem and Emma Bond). Mika’s grandfather John was born in Pennsylvania. Mika’s great-grandfather John was born in Pennsylvania, the son of John Boorem and Elizabeth Nauman. Emma was born in Pennsylvania, the daughter of Lewis D. Bond and Elizabeth Gurr.
Mika’s paternal grandmother was Mavis Vernon Putman (the daughter of Charles Putman and Nellie Ellen St. John). Mavis was born in Arkansas. Charles was born in Mississippi, the son of Charles P. “Charley” Putman and Essence Jane Rush. Nellie was born in Arkansas.
Mika’s maternal grandfather was Warren E. Thomas (the son of Warren Delton Denver Thomas and Margaret Ellen Miller). Mika’s grandfather Warren was born in Pennsylvania. Mika’s great-grandfather Warren was born in Pennsylvania, the son of Hezekiah Boone Thomas and Rebecca R. Kellar. Margaret was born in Pennsylvania, the daughter of William James Miller and Sarah Ellen McKinney.
Mika’s maternal grandmother was Erma K. Igou/Igo (the daughter of Archibald “Archie/Arch” Igou/Igo and Katherine Phillips). Erma was born in Pennsylvania. Archibald was born in Pennsylvania, the son of Peter Henry Clay Igou, whose mother was Irish, and of Sarah Elizabeth Murphy. Katherine was born in Pennsylvania.
Genealogy of Mika Boorem (focusing on her paternal grandfather’s line) – http://www.thomasgenweb.com/boorem.pdf
Information on Mika’s paternal grandfather, John Sedgwick Boorem – http://thomasgenweb.com/sedgwick_boorem.html
Genealogy of Mika’s paternal grandparents, John Sedgwick Boorem and Mavis Vernon Putman – https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/M4H2-HXL
Obituary of Mika’s paternal grandmother, Mavis Vernon Putman – https://www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/memorialpage-print-new2.asp?id=44282&locid=26
Obituary of Mika’s maternal grandmother, Erma K. (Igou) Thomas – https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6115443/erma-igou-thomas-d-1989/
Yes I know. Apparently Mika Boorem wrote in to the site shortly after this page was published, to say that the genealogy was wrong and that she’s of Jewish heritage (not sure about Danish); that’s to the best of my recollection. Ethnic changed the page to say Jewish again. So, I don’t know how to proceed. Perhaps the page should just be deleted alltogether.
O wow, another Alessandra Torresani/Richard Burton/Twiggy…
The odd Igou surname traces back to Normandy in France.