Bill Kreutzmann

Birth Name: William Kreutzmann

Place of Birth: Palo Alto, Santa Clara, California, United States

Date of Birth: May 7, 1946

Ethnicity: German (around half), Irish, English, Scottish, 1/32 Scots-Irish/Northern Irish

Bill Kreutzmann is an American musician. He was a member of rock band Grateful Dead, in which he played the drums. The band’s members also included Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, and Bob Weir. He was also a member of rock bands The Other Ones and The Dead, both with Lesh and Weir.

Bill is the son of Janice and William Kreutzmann. His maternal grandfather was football coach and innovator Clark Shaughnessy.

Bill’s paternal grandfather was Henry Adolph Robert Kreutzmann (the son of Josef/Joseph Heinrich/Henry Kreutzmann and Marie Bertha Kitz). Bill’s grandfather Henry was born in San Francisco, California, to German parents. Joseph was the son of Joseph Kreutzmann and Maria Christina Matthaeus, who were from Frankfurt am Main. Bill’s great-grandmother Marie was the daughter of Franz Rudolph Xaverius Kitz, from Hessen-Nassau, Preußen, and Gertrude Schleier, from Berncastel, Rhineland-Palatinate.

Bill’s paternal grandmother was Pearl K. Schwenk (the daughter of William P. Schwenk and Katie/Kate Hogan). Pearl was born in Pennsylvania. William had German ancestry, and was the son of William Schwenk and Eva/Eve Anna Pool/Puhl. Katie had Irish and German ancestry.

Bill’s maternal grandfather was Clark Daniel Shaughnessy (the son of Edward Shaughnessy and Lucy Ann Foster). Clark was born in Minnesota. Edward was born in Pennsylvania, to Irish parents. Lucy was Canadian.

Bill’s maternal grandmother was Louvania/Louvenia Mae Hamilton (the daughter of William Wilson Hamilton and Louvania/Louvenia Alice Goff). Bill’s grandmother Louvania was born in Louisiana. William possibly had Scottish and English ancestry. Bill’s great-grandmother Louvania had German, Scots-Irish, and possibly English, ancestry.

Sources: Genealogy of Bill Kreutzmann – https://www.geni.com

Bill’s mother on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org