John Thune

official U.S. Senate photo of John Thune, c. 2010, by John Klemmer

Birth Name: John Randolph Thune

Place of Birth: Pierre, South Dakota, U.S.

Date of Birth: January 7, 1961

Ethnicity: Norwegian (paternal grandfather), English, German, Scottish, distant Irish

John Thune is an American politician. A Republican, he has served as a U.S. Senator from South Dakota, since January 3, 2005, and Senate Minority Whip, since January 20, 2021. He has also been a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Dakota, from January 3, 1997 to January 3, 2003, Chair of the Senate Republican Conference, from January 26, 2012 to January 3, 2019, Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, from January 3, 2015 to January 3, 2019, and Senate Majority Whip, from January 3, 2019 and January 20, 2021.

John is the son of Yvonne Patricia (Bodine) and Harold Richard Thune. His paternal grandfather was Norwegian. The rest of John’s ancestry is English, German, Scottish, and distant Irish. He is married to Kimberley (Weems), with whom he has two children.

John’s paternal grandfather was named Nicolai/Nicholas Thune. Nicolai was born in Kramer, Bergen (Hordaland), Norway.

John’s paternal grandmother was Maude Luella Riley (the daughter of Henry Stephen Riley and Mary Jane Percival). Maude was born in Iowa. Henry was the son of John Riley and Phredina/Ferdonia Rawdon. Mary Jane was the daughter of Warren Percival and Sophronia Eaton.

John’s maternal grandfather was Mahlon Leonard Leslie Bodine (the son of Marshall Erastius Sebastius Bodine and Margaret Isabelle Faulds). Mahlon was born in Fingal, Ontario, Canada. Marshall was the son of Mahlon Bodine and Roxanne Wade, both of whom were born in Ontario, to American parents. Margaret was the daughter of Thomas Faulds, who was of Scottish origin, and of Sarah Elizabeth Tuttle.

John’s maternal grandmother was Dorothy Jane Miller (the daughter of Henry Miller and Ann/Anna Severin/Severien/Severier). Dorothy was born in Iowa. Henry was born in Germany, the son of Henry Moeller and Sophie/Sophia. Ann was the daughter of John Severien and Dura Gobleby/Gobletry.

Sources: Genealogy of John Thune – http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com

Genealogy of John Thune (focusing on his mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com