Alison Krauss

Krauss in 2012, photo by Prphotos

Birth Name: Alison Maria Krauss

Place of Birth: Decatur, Illinois, U.S.

Date of Birth: July 23, 1971

Ethnicity:
*father – German
*mother – Italian, along with German and some Swiss-German

Alison Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter, and fiddler.

Her father, “Fred” Krauss, was a German immigrant, who came to the U.S. in 1952, and taught his native language. Her mother, Louise, the daughter of artists, is of Italian, German, and some Swiss-German, descent. Her brother is acoustic and electric bass musician Viktor Krauss. She was raised partly in Champaign, Illinois.

Alison has one child with her former husband, guitarist, harmonica player, and songwriter Pat Bergeson.

Alison’s maternal grandfather was Romolo/Rom Zenon Rigotti (the son of Louis Rigotti and Maria Margaret Simonetto). Romolo was born in Fonzaso, Provincia di Belluno, Veneto, Italy.

Alison’s maternal grandmother was Ruth Augusta Wissmueller (the daughter of Lorenz A. Wissmueller and Anna C. Schwartz). Ruth was born in Michigan. Lorenz was the son of Lorenz Morris Wissmueller and Juliane Elizabeth Moll, who were both the children of German immigrants. Anna was the daughter of William Peter Schwartz, who was a German immigrant, and of Rachel Regula Reis, a Swiss-German immigrant.

Sources: Genealogies of Alison’s maternal grandparents, Romolo/Rom Zenon Rigotti and Ruth Augusta (Wissmueller) Rigotti – http://www.findagrave.com

Alison’s maternal grandmother, Ruth Augusta Wissmueller, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org