Josh Duhamel
Duhamel in 2011, image by s_bukley / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Joshua David Duhamel
Place of Birth: Minot, North Dakota, U.S.
Date of Birth: November 14, 1972
Ethnicity: German (about half), as well as 1/8th Norwegian, 1/16th French-Canadian, and Irish, English, and Austrian
Josh Duhamel is an American actor and model. He is married to singer and actress Fergie, with whom he has a son.
His father, Larry David Duhamel, is of one eighth French-Canadian descent, along with German, English, Norwegian, and Irish. Josh’s mother, Bonnie/Bonny L. Kemper, is of mostly German, and some English and Austrian, ancestry. His surname means “from the hamlet” in French.
A DNA test whose results were displayed on the show Who Do You Think You Are? (2018) stated that Josh’s genetic ancestry is:
*36% Great Britain
*17% Europe West
*13% Scandinavia
*9% Europe East
*9% Ireland/Scotland/Wales
*8% Europe South
Josh’s paternal grandfather was Lawrence “Larry” Louis Duhamel (the son of Louis William Duhamel and Agnes Catherine/K. Rader). Lawrence was born in North Dakota. Josh’s great-grandfather Louis was the son of William Brassar Duhamel, who was French-Canadian, from Ontario, and of Mary Jane O’Brien/O’Brian, whose parents were Irish. Agnes was the daughter of German parents.
Josh’s paternal grandmother was Vergil Delores Baker (the daughter of Clifford Mark Baker and Minnie Constance Bjorn). Vergil was born in North Dakota. Clifford was the son of Bernard Mortimer Baker and Florence Adda Perry, who had English ancestry. Minnie was born in North Dakota, the daughter of Norwegian parents, Alfred Christopher Bjorn and Helga Nathilda Aarstad/Orstad.
Josh’s maternal grandfather was Walter John Bachmeier (the son of Daniel/Dan Bachmeier and Theresia Sander). Walter was born in North Dakota. Daniel was an ethnic German from Russia. Theresia was born in North Dakota, the daughter of ethnic German parents from the Russian Empire, Rochus Sander/Saudar, from Selz, Kutschurgan Colony, and Theresia/Trieca/Theresa Bartsch, who was also from the Odessa area.
Josh’s maternal grandmother is Eileen Grace Smith (the daughter of George Edward/Edgar Smith and Elizabeth Gertrude Hannis). Eileen was born in North Dakota. George was born in Illinois, the son of Edgar Scott Smith and Hermina Bretthauer, who was of German descent. Elizabeth was born in North Dakota, the daughter of Peter Hannis, who was German, and of Anna Lydia Hierath, who was Austrian. Anna was the daughter of Josef Karl Hierath and Anna Marie Riedel.
Sources: Josh’s appearance on Who Do You Think You Are?, 2018 – https://www.youtube.com
Genealogies of Josh Duhamel (focusing on his father’s side) – http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com
https://www.geni.com
Genealogy of Josh’s maternal grandfather, Walter John Bachmeier (focusing on his own mother’s side) – https://www.findagrave.com
Obituary of Josh’s maternal grandfather, Walter John Bachmeier – http://www.hertzfuneralhomes.com
Josh’s maternal great-grandparents, Daniel/Dan Bachmeier and Theresia Sander, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy of Josh’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Theresia/Trieca/Theresa Bartsch (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Josh’s maternal grandmother, Eileen Grace Smith, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Genealogies of Josh’s maternal great-grandmother, Elizabeth Gertrude Hannis (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Anna Lydia Hierath on the:
1900 census – Birth place: Germany
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MM2Y-JCP
1920 census – Birth place: Austria, Language: Slovak
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFBT-VLL
1940 census – Birth place: Slovakia
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQ6L-DML
So was she Slovak, Austrian, or German? I don’t know. Maybe Hungarian, there appears to be Hungarian Hieraths.
Or it could have something to do with the fact that none of those women are Duhamel’s great-great-grandmother (with the possible exception of the first one).
I think ashash said it best on the Emmanuelle Vaugier page.
Have you found Anna on any census?
Anna’s parent’s were Joseph and Anna. She was born in Vysoké Jamné.
So what’s her ethnicity? Czech? German?
German. From Sudetenland. All her ancestors have German names.
Josh is the son of Bonnie/Bonny L. (Kemper) and Larry David Duhamel. The surname “Kemper” is often German, although it can be Dutch as well.
“Kemper” is almost certainly her remarriage surname.