Donavon Frankenreiter

Frankenreiter in 2008, photo by Prphotos

Birth Name: Donavon M. Frankenreiter

Place of Birth: Downey, Los Angeles, California, United States

Date of Birth: December 10, 1972

Ethnicity: German, Irish, one quarter Italian

Donavon Frankenreiter is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and surfer.

Donavon is married to Petra.

Donavon’s paternal grandfather was Anthony Merle/Merrill L. Frankenreiter (the son of Ambrose Martin Frankenreiter and Ella Ludwig). Ambrose was the son of Martin Frankenreiter and Christina Bauer. Ella was the daughter of Herman Heinrich Ludwig, whose parents, Caspar Ludwig and Catherine Schreiner, were from Hesse, Germany, and of Clara Louisa Gerhardt, who was also born in Missouri, the daughter of Julius Gehardt and Mollie Heine, who hailed from Bavaria and Saxony, Germany, respectively.

Donavon’s paternal grandmother was named Mary Yanni/Yanne/Youna (the daughter of Anthony “Tony” Yanne/Youna and Theresa). Mary was born in Missouri, to Italian parents.

Donavon’s maternal grandfather was Donald Russell Traut (the son of Milton Samuel Traut and Clara Bertha Block). Donald was born in Ohio. Milton was born in Ohio, the son of Nicholas Traut and Anna Maria Eckhardt, who were ethnic Volga Germans from Norka, Saratov, Russia. Clara was born in Michigan, to parents from Germany, Edward Block and Henrietta Davie.

Donavon’s maternal grandmother was Jacqueline (Nestor) Traut-Kendall (the daughter of Joseph/Jerome Nestor and Margaret M. Comiskey). Joseph was the son of Patrick Francis Nestor, whose parents were from Wales, and were of Irish descent, and of Mary M. Cayne/Coyne, whose parents were Irish. Margaret was the daughter of James Francis Comiskey, whose own parents were Irish, and of Helen/Nellie Hynes, whose parents were also Irish.

Sources: Obituary of Donavon’s father – http://obits.ocregister.com

Genealogies of Donavon’s paternal great-grandmother, Ella (Ludwig) Frankenreiter – http://www.geocities.ws
http://www.geocities.ws

Donavon’s paternal grandmother, Mary Yanni/Yanne/Youna, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Mary Yanni/Yanne/Youna on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Obituary of Donavon’s paternal grandmother, Mary (Yanni/Yanne/Youna) Frankenreiter – http://www.legacy.com

Obituary of Donavon’s maternal grandmother, Jacqueline (Nestor) Traut-Kendall – http://www.tributes.com

8 Responses

  1. stlucas says:

    Donavon’s maternal grandfather was Donald Russell Traut (the son of Milton Samuel Traut and Clara Bertha Block). Donald was born in Ohio. Milton was born in Ohio, the son of Nicholas Traut and Anna Maria Eckhardt, who were ethnic Volga Germans from Norka, Saratov, Russia. Clara was born in Michigan, to parents from Germany, Edward Block and Henrietta Davie.

  2. stlucas says:

    Donavon’s paternal grandmother was Mary Yanni/Yanne/Youna (the daughter of Anthony “Tony” Yanne/Youna and Theresa). Anthony and Theresa were Italian.

    https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHJT-5GW
    https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K741-CQP

    Donavon’s maternal grandmother was Jacqueline (Nestor) Traut-Kendall (likely the daughter of Joseph Nestor and Margaret M. Comiskey). Joseph was the son of Patrick F. Nestor, whose own parents were from Wales, and of Mary M. Cayne/Coyne, whose own parents were Irish. Margaret was the daughter of James Francis Comiskey, whose own parents were Irish, and of Helen/Nellie Hynes, whose own parents were also Irish.

    http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=dunnloeppcuster&id=I123352
    Obituary of Donavon’s maternal grandmother – http://www.tributes.com/obituary/show/Jacqueline-Traut-Kendall-104727709

    • follers says:

      So the Jacqueline listed in the obituary was for sure Frankenreiter’s grandmother? If so, her genealogy is correct.

      • stlucas says:

        Yes. I found Jacqueline’s obituary on her son’s Facebook page, Eric V. Traut. Eric is a famous attorney in California who also happens to be Donavon’s uncle. According to their birth records, Eric and Donavon’s mother have the same father and mother.

        https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VLMV-3VB
        https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2T4-9C5

        I couldn’t find information about Donavon’s maternal grandfather, though.

      • andrew says:

        follers, have you checked Chris Cooper’s Choctaw ancestry so far?

        QUOTE about: Nancy ‘Jane Black’ Lipsec/Lipsic:
        “Nancy was a lean, spare-made, dark-skinned, black haired woman who was born in 1762 in Orange County, North Carolina and who was also called Mary Jane and died after 1842 in probably Mississippi.” Some say that John (Col. Brashier) married the sister or daughter of Pushmataha, Choctaw chieftain and Mason. In the Dawes Rolls she was referred to as Nancy Jane Black (Brashier) and Mary Jane Black (Brashear). She claimed to be related to Push. I believe she may have been a cousin, as she was born about the same time in 1762 in Orange County, North Carolina. She had a nephew named Billy Black and other relatives named Black and some of her children (Keziah Brashear Thompson and Elizabeth Brashear Dumas) did live in the old Choctaw Nation in Alabama in 1830 and spoke Choctaw.

  3. andrew says:

    I remember some of his songs, he’s not as known as Jack Johnson, though. Yes, “Yanni” can be an Italian surname but it’s rare.

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