Kelsey Asbille
Asbille in 2012, image via Joe Seer/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Kelsey Asbille Chow
Place of Birth: Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
Date of Birth: September 9, 1991
Ethnicity:
*father – Chinese Taiwanese
*mother – English, German
Kelsey Asbille, also credited as Kelsey Chow, is an American actress.
Her father was born in Taiwan, and was raised in Africa. Kelsey’s paternal grandparents left China for Taiwan in 1948.
Her mother is American. Kelsey has played several Native American roles. Kelsey’s mother has been described as having Eastern Band Cherokee Native American ancestry. It is not clear if this Cherokee ancestry has been verified/documented.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians nation has issued a statement reading:
The enrollment and descendant records of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have been searched for the aforementioned person. Kelsey Asbille (Chow) is not now nor has she ever been an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. No documentation was found in our records to support any claim that she descends from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Kelsey’s paternal grandfather was named Thomas Chang Ming Chow. Thomas was born in Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China.
Kelsey’s paternal grandmother was named Rosemary Tung. Rosemary was born in Beijing.
Kelsey’s maternal grandfather was LeRoy Brunson Asbill (the son of Perry H. Asbill/Asbell and Mattie Ora Lee Forrest/Forest). LeRoy was born in South Carolina. Perry was the son of Andrew Denton/Denson Asbill and Lula A. Shealy. Mattie was the daughter of William/Wiliam Thomas Forrest/Forest and Lucinda Tiemosey Elizabeth Turner.
Kelsey’s maternal grandmother was Annie Lois Lybrand (the daughter of Leon Frontis Lybrand and Marie Scott). Annie was born in South Carolina. Leon was the son of Thomas Fair Lybrand and Sallie/Sally Alice Brad Spradley.
Sources: Discussion of Kelsey’s ancestry – http://ancestorstealing.blogspot.ca
Obituaries of Kelsey’s paternal grandparents, Thomas Chang Ming Chow and Rosemary (Tung) Chow – https://www.findagrave.com
Genealogies and obituaries of Kelsey’s maternal grandparents, LeRoy Brunson Asbill and Annie Lois Lybrand – https://www.findagrave.com
Kelsey’s maternal grandmother, Annie Lois Lybrand, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Kelsey Cho once stated a”great great grand parent” with the surname Asbille was “Cherokee” and Geni/Genestar pages said it was George Washington Asbill/Asvill born in 1816 in (Madison county?) Kentucky. However, there were Asbills who are Cherokee moved west during the trail of tears to KS, MO, AR and esp OK. I believe she “stole” an ancestor by a simple trip on the internet, similarly, Jimmie Durham, Ward Churchill and Elizabeth Warren who were proven to (most likely) lied about their Cherokee or American Indian descent found similar named relatives (not by blood at all) in the Cherokee Nation and Eastern Bands by a trip to the public library (I guess).
I’m from Sonora State Northwest Mexico, and there are a lot of girls like her, in my State. She can pass easily as a Sonoran girl