Sissy Spacek
Spacek in 2013, photo by kathclick/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Mary Elizabeth Spacek
Place of Birth: Quitman, Smith, Texas, U.S.
Date of Birth: December 25, 1949
Ethnicity:
*Moravian/Czech, German (father)
*English (mother)
Sissy Spacek is an American actress and singer. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980).
Sissy is the daughter of Virginia Frances (Spilman) and Edwin Arnold Spacek. Her father was of three quarters Bohemian (Czech) and one quarter German descent. Her mother had English ancestry. The surname Špaček means “starling” in Czech, and is used as a slang word for “cigarette.”
Sissy’s first cousin is actor and comedian Rip Torn, who is her father’s sister’s son. Sissy is married to production designer, art director, and director Jack Fisk, with whom she has two children, including actress, singer, and songwriter Schuyler Fisk.
Sissy’s paternal grandfather was Arnold Adolph Špaček (the son of Frank John Špaček and Julia/Julie Anna Gloeckner/Gloekner). Arnold was born in Texas, and was mayor of Granger, Texas in Williamson County. Frank was born in Bordovice, Moravia (now in the Czech Republic), the son of František/Frank Špaček and Antonia. Julia was born in Neustadt, Germany, the daughter of William Gloekner and Johanna Kirsch.
Sissy’s paternal grandmother was Mary Julia Červenka (the daughter of Josef Friedrich Červenka and Anna Machu). Mary was born in Texas, to a father from Huckvaldy, Moravia (now the Czech Republic) and a mother from Senince Usti, Vsetin Valley, Moravia (also now the Czech Republic). Anna was the daughter of Pavel Machu and Rozina Talica.
Sissy’s maternal grandfather was Thomas Hall Spilman (the son of Thomas Percival Spilman and Almira H. Randall). Sissy’s grandfather Thomas was born in Iowa. Sissy’s great-grandfather Thomas was the son of John Dyke Spilman and Amelia Percival. Almira was the daughter of Benjamin Randall and Miranda Lathrop, who was born in Canada.
Sissy’s maternal grandmother was Elizabeth Allen Holliday (the daughter of Joseph Evans Holliday and Virginia Jenny Prichard Baker). Elizabeth was born in Mississippi. Joseph was the son of Isaac Newton Holliday and Elizabeth A. “Lizzie” Tisdale. Virginia was the daughter of Samuel Smith Baker and Eliza Jane Austin.
Sources: Genealogies of Sissy Spacek – https://www.geni.com
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Genealogy of Sissy Spacek (focusing on her father’s side) (through Sissy’s cousin, Rip Torn) – http://www.wargs.com
Genealogy of Sissy Spacek (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://www.wargs.com
Does she really have Irish ancestry? I haven’t found any from the sources. I think it should be removed, only leaving English on her mother’s side.
She said her mother was of English and Irish descent on Inside the Actors Studio.
What is it with Americans and exaggerating their Irish ancestry?
Madman makes a good point. Chuck Norris, Babe Ruth, Philip Mauceri, Sissy Spacek are all American celebrities claiming Irish heritage…..
What is this a Rachel Dolezal reunion?
She most likely has some distant Welsh ancestry since his maternal 3rd great-grandmothe carries the very Welsh surname “Evans”
Another interesting thing is a remote ancestor who was named Elizabeth BROCAS, a quite unusual last name (at least with this spelling)
They say only 33.4 million of us claim Irish heritage. Every person I know that is white or black claims to have a little Irish in them. and almost every white, black, and Latino claim Native American as well. You would think over half the United States is Irish and Native American.