Tim Walz

Birth Name: Timothy James Walz

Place of Birth: West Point, Nebraska, U.S.

Date of Birth: April 6, 1964

Ethnicity:
*50% German
*25% Swedish
*12.5% Irish
*12.5% Luxembourgish

Tim Walz is an American politician. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, he has served as Governor of Minnesota, since January 7, 2019. He was previously a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota, from January 3, 2007 to January 3, 2019, and a Ranking Member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, from January 3, 2017 to January 3, 2019. He was an Army National Guardsman until 2005, retiring as a master sergeant; and has worked in manufacturing, and as a school teacher and football coach. As governor, he has passed legislation increasing state infrastructure, adressing environmental issues and tax modifications, and giving free college tuition and free school meals for low-income families.

He is the Democratic Party’s nominee for Vice President of the United States in 2024.

Tim is the son of Darlene Rose, a community activist, and James Frederick Walz, a teacher and school superintendent. He was raised in Valentine, and Butte, both in Nebraska, and moved to Minnesota in 1996. He is married to educator and public school administrator Gwen (Whipple) Walz, with whom he has two children. He is a Lutheran.

Tim’s paternal grandfather was Raymond Anthony Walz (the son of John Friederich Walz and Laura Ellen Sullivan). Raymond was born in Hartington, Cedar, Nebraska. John was born in Freeport, Stephenson, Illinois, the son of Sebastian Walz, who was born in Kuppenheim, Rastatt, Baden, Germany, and of Mary Anna Berger, who was born in Montréal, Québec, Canada, to Prussian parents. Laura was born in Nebraska, to Irish parents, James Sullivan and Anna Lacy, who were from County Wexford.

Tim’s paternal grandmother was Myrtle Viola Samuelson/Samelson (the daughter of Charles G. Samuelson/Samelson and Jennie Matilda/Tillie Peterson). Myrtle was born in Cedar County, Nebraska. Charles was born crossing the Atlantic Ocean, en route to the U.S., the son of John Samuelson/Samelson and Mary Christofferson/Christefensen, who were Swedish. Jennie was born near Marne, Cass, Iowa, the daughter of Swedish parents, Andrew Smith Peterson and Anna Sophia Swanson.

Tim’s maternal grandfather was Lawrence Frederick/Fredrick Reiman (the son of Bernard Frederick “Ben” Reimann/Reiman and Ottilla/Ottila/Otillia Reicher). Lawrence was born in Templeton, Iowa. Bernard was the son of German parents, Freidrich/Friedrich/Fredrick/Fred Anton Reimann/Reiman and Ferdinandina/Bernadine/Berdina Theresia Henkenius/Henkinius, who were from Hegensdorf and Höxter, respectively, in Paderborn, North Rhine-Westphalia. Tim’s great-grandmother Ottilla was the daughter of Francis/Frank Joseph Reicher, whose parents were from Prussia, Germany; and of Josephine Bohnenkamp, whose parents were also Prussian Germans.

Tim’s maternal grandmother was Helen Mary Reiser (the daughter of John Francis “Frank” Reiser and Barbara Lucy Engelhaupt/Englehaupt). Helen was born in Nebraska. John was born in La Motte, Jackson, Iowa, the son of Luxembourgish parents, Nicholas/Nicolas Reiser, from Kehlen, Canton de Capellen, and Susanna Pütz/Puetz/Purtz, from Septfontaines, Canton de Capellen. Tim’s great-grandmother Barbara was born in Mellrichstadt, Bavaria, Germany, the daughter of Michael Anton Engelhaupt/Englehaupt and Anna Maria/Mary Shellenberger/Schellenberger.

Two people of heavily Scandinavian ancestry have served as Vice President of the United States, Hubert Humphrey, from January 20, 1965 to January 20, 1969, and Walter Mondale, from January 20, 1977 to January 20, 1981. Both were members of the Democratic Party.

Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale were also the two people of heavily Scandinavian ancestry who were nominated for President of the United States by a major party, Humphrey in 1968 and Mondale in 1984, both by the Democratic Party. Mondale was also the Democratic Party’s nominee for re-election as Vice President in 1980. Aside of Humphrey, Mondale, and Walz, two people of heavily Scandinavian ancestry were/have been nominated for Vice President of the United States by a major party. They were:
*Earl Warren (1948; Republican; Warren was of Norwegian and Swedish descent)
*Lloyd Bentsen (1988, Democratic; Bentsen’s father was of Danish descent)

Several people of heavily Scandinavian ancestry ran or have run a plausible or semi-plausible campaign for a major party’s nomination for President of the United States. Of these candidates, several won a major party’s caucus and/or primary. They were:
*Earl Warren (who sought the 1936, 1944, 1948, and 1952 Republican nominations; each time, won 1 state, California)
*Charles A. Christopherson (who sought the 1944 Republican nomination; won 1 state, South Dakota; Christopherson’s parents were Norwegian)
*Hubert Humphrey (Democratic; in 1952, he won 1 state, Minnesota; in 1960, he won 2 states; in 1972, he won 5 states)
*Joe Foss (who sought the 1956 Republican nomination; won 1 state, South Dakota; Foss’s father was of Norwegian descent)
*Henry M. Jackson (Democratic; ran in 1972 and 1976: in 1976, he won 4 contests; Jackson’s parents were Norwegian)
*Walter Mondale (1984, the year he was nominated; Democratic; won 20 contests)

Other people of heavily Scandinavian heritage who have mounted plausible or semi-plausible campaigns for a major party’s nomination for President of the United States are:
*George T. Mickelson (who sought the 1952 Republican nomination; Mickelson’s father was Norwegian)
*Pat Paulsen (who sought the 1968, 1972, 1980, 1988, 1992, and 1996 nominations, usually Democratic; Paulsen’s father was Norwegian)
*Frank Carlson (who sought the 1968 Republican nomination; Carlson’s parents were Swedish)
*Lloyd Bentsen (who sought the 1976 Democratic nomination)
*John B. Anderson (who sought the 1980 Republican nomination, and was later an independent 1980 candidate; Anderson’s father was Swedish and Anderson’s mother was of Swedish descent)
*Bob Smith (who sought the 2000 Republican nomination; Smith’s paternal grandfather was of Danish descent)
*Gary Johnson (who sought the 2012 Republican nomination, and was the Libertarian Party’s 2012 and 2016 nominee for President of the United States; Johnson’s father was adopted by Danish and Norwegian parents, and was possibly himself of Scandinavian descent)
*Michele Bachmann (who sought the 2012 Republican nomination; Bachmann is of Norwegian descent)
*Jon Huntsman, Jr. (who sought the 2012 Republican nomination; Huntsman is of one eighth Swedish, one eighth Norwegian, and one sixteenth Danish, descent)
*Eric Swalwell (who sought the 2020 Democratic nomination; Swalwell’s mother is of Swedish and Danish descent)
*Perry Johnson (who sought the 2024 Republican nomination; Johnson’s father was of Swedish and Norwegian descent)

Sources: Article about Tim’s Luxembourgish roots – https://www.luxtimes.lu

Genealogies of Tim Walz – https://www.geni.com
https://famouskin.com

Marriage announcement of Tim’s parents – https://www.newspapers.com

Genealogy of Tim Walz (focusing on his father’s side) – http://freepages.rootsweb.com

Genealogy of Tim’s mother – https://www.findagrave.com