Jonathan Frakes

Frakes in 2008, photo by s_bukley/Bigstock.com

Birth Name: Jonathan Scott Frakes

Place of Birth: Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Date of Birth: August 19, 1952

Ethnicity: German, some English

Jonathan Frakes is an American actor, author, and director. He is known for his role as Riker in the Star Trek franchise, particularly on the shows Next Generation and Picard, and in the 1994 to 2002 films. He also directed two of the films in which he starred, Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Insurrection, as well as Clockstoppers and Thunderbirds (2004); and many Star Trek and other television episodes, including The Librarian franchise. He hosted the anthology Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction, narrated the documentary Lee and Grant, and starred in a voice role on the show Gargoyles.

Jonathan is the son of Doris J. and James R. Frakes, who was a professor of English literature and American studies, at Lehigh University, and reviewer and critic for The New York Times Book Review. He is of German and English ancestry on his father’s side, and of German ancestry on his mother’s. Many of his forebears were Pennsylvania Dutch, Germans who lived in Pennsylvania. Jonathan was raised in Bethlehem, in the Lehigh Valley. He is married to actress Genie Francis, with whom he has two children.

Jonathan’s paternal grandfather was Byron Francis Fraikes/Frakes (the son of Frederick Orford Rhinehart Fraikes/Frakes and Jessie Reed). Byron was born in Pennsylvania. Frederick was of German descent, the son of Cyrus Frank Fraikes/Frakes and Emma Katherine. Jessie may have had English ancestry.

Jonathan’s paternal grandmother was Helen Elizabeth Weis (the daughter of Charles Joseph Weis and Anna E. Daly). Helen was born in Pennsylvania. Charles was the son of German parents, Charles Weis and Caroline Sheis, of Württemberg. Anna’s father was English.

Jonathan’s maternal grandfather was Charles William Yingling (the son of John Matthew Yingling and Anna May/Mae Ott). Charles was born in Pennsylavnia, of German descent. John was the son of Joseph Augustine Yingling and Catherine/Katherine Anna Glass. Jonathan’s great-grandmother Anna was the daughter of Andrew Ott and Jane Eichelberger.

Jonathan’s maternal grandmother was Esther Ethel Imler (the daughter of Lawrence Imler and Della Catherine Stambaugh). Esther was born in Pennsylvania, of German descent. Lawrence was the son of Joseph W. Imler and Elizabeth Pressell/Pressel. Della was the daughter of Michael Stambaugh and Margaret Berkheimer.

Sources: Genealogy of Jonathan Frakes – http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com

Genealogy of Jonathan Frakes (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.geni.com