Katrina Leskanich
Birth Name: Katrina Elizabeth Leskanich
Place of Birth: Topeka, Kansas, U.S.
Date of Birth: April 10, 1960
Ethnicity:
*father – Slovak and/or Czech, Ukrainian, and Rusyn
*mother – German (at least one half), Irish, smaller amount of English, distant Welsh and Scottish
Katrina Leskanich is an American musician and author. She was the lead singer of English rock band Katrina and the Waves, with which she won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1997.
Katrina is the daughter of Cathryn Elizabeth and Theodore Leskanich, a colonel in the U.S. Air Force. Her paternal grandparents were born in the Austria-Hungarian Empire, and emigrated to Pennsylvania. During her childhood, Katrina lived in Kansas, New Mexico, California, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Germany, The Netherlands, and finally England, where she lives.
Katrina is married to professional manager and author Sher Harper.
Katrina’s paternal grandfather was named Frank Leskanich. Frank was born in Ukraine or Poland.
Katrina’s paternal grandmother was named Mary Butchko. Mary listed as born in Czechia on several censuses. She may have been of Rusyn or Slovak descent.
Katrina’s maternal grandfather was James Francis O’Neil (the son of James O’Neil, Jr. and Lillian A. Bryan). Katrina’s grandfather James was born in Osage City, Kansas. Katrina’s great-grandfather James was the son of Irish emigrants, James O’Neil, from Dublin, and Julia Ryan. Lillian was the daughter of Francis Bryan and Elizabeth McKillip, and had deep roots in the U.S.
Katrina’s maternal grandmother was Louise Leona Schott (the daughter of Roman Schott and Johanna Westerman). Louise was born in Neodesha, Kansas. Roman was the son of German immigrants, Martin Schott and Matilda Nehring. Johanna was the daughter of John Herman Westerman and Maria C. Vogelsang, who were born in the U.S., both of them to German parents.
Sources: Katrina’s ancestry – http://www.radioswisspop.ch
http://www.artisttrove.com
Katrina’s father on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Katrina’s paternal grandparents, Frank Leskanich and Mary Butchko, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Record of Katrina’s paternal grandfather, Frank Leskanich – http://www.findagrave.com
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/GVMC-NKN
Katrina’s maternal grandfather was James Francis O’Neil (the son of James O’Neil Jr. and Lillian A. Bryan): Katrina’s grandfather James was born in Osage City, Kansas. Katrina’s great-grandfather James was the son of Irish emigrants, James O’Neil, from Dublin, and Julia Ryan. Lillian was the daughter of Francis Bryan and Elizabeth McKillip, and had deep lines in America.
Katrina’s maternal grandmother was Louise Leona Schott (the daughter of Roman Schott and Johanna Westerman). Louise was born in Neodesha, Kansas. Roman was the son of German emigrants, Martin Schott and Matilda Nehring. Johanna was the daughter of John Herman Westerman and Maria C. Vogelsang, both born in the U.S. to German emigrants.
The ethnicity of Katrina’s mother: German, Irish, smaller amounts of English, distant Welsh and Scottish
On her father side, Katrina’s paternal grandfather Frank is listed as born in Ukraine in Find a Grave.
Katrina’s paternal grandmother was Mary Butchko, and is listed as born in Czechoslovakia in several censuses. The surname Butchko is in most cases of Slovak or Rusyn origin. It is very likely that Katrina’s father had (at least something) of Rusyn ancestry, as the Rusyn nation is located right between Ukraine and Slovakia.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH7H-MJH
It says her grandfather was Polish and her grandmother was Slovak. Polish seems a bit strange though given the surname.
Rusyn?
I havent checked it though
Could this be her grandfather? The birth year, name and place match.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=117212077
That is definitely him. So her father is apparently at least half Ukrainian.
The surname Leskanich, and variations of the name, is also most prevalent in Ukraine.
http://forebears.co.uk/surnames/leskanich
I wouldn’t decisively claim he’s Ukrainian and I wouldn’t eliminate Slovakian (nor Rusyn) as a possibility, but I doubt he was Czech.