Heather O’Rourke

Birth Name: Heather M. O’Rourke

Date of Birth: December 27, 1975

Place of Birth: Santee, San Diego, California, United States

Date of Death: February 1, 1988

Place of Death: San Diego, California, U.S.

Ethnicity: German, Danish, English, Irish

Heather O’Rourke was an American actress. She is known for playing Carol Anne Freeling in the first three Poltergeist films, from 1982 to 1988.

Her sister is actress Tammy O’Rourke.

Heather’s paternal grandfather was Cordell O’Rourke (the son of Hardy Cordell O’Rourke and Irma Alta/May Paschal/Peacher/Paschar). Cordell was born in Arkansas. Hardy was the son of Michael O’Rourke, who was Irish, and of Lucy Hansy. Irma was the daughter of Elisha Christian Paschal and Hattie Leona Curry.

Heather’s paternal grandmother was Melba Mae Cox (the daughter of Elmer L. Cox and Dovie Beatrice Hull). Melba was born in Alabama. Dovie was the daughter of Joe Hull.

Heather’s maternal grandfather was Walton Clyde Schwarm (the son of Ernest August Schwarm and Julia Bertha Franke). Walton was born in Wisconsin. Ernest was the son of Frank Richard Getman and Lela Maude Woodard, and was adopted by his step-father, August Schwarm. Julia was born in Minnesota, to a Prussian German father, Carl/Charles/Charley Daniel/Gotleib Franke, and Bertha/Barbara Emma Wilken/Wilcken/Welchen, who was of German descent.

Heather’s maternal grandmother is the daughter of Lawrence Andre Petersen and Gudrun Nielsen. Laurence and Gudrun were Danish. Gudrun was the daughter of Christ Nielsen and Sine Jensen.

Sources: Genealogy of Heather O’Rourke – https://www.geni.com

Obituary of Heather O’Rourke – http://www.findagrave.com

Heather’s maternal grandfather, Walton Clyde Schwarm, on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org