Lara Trump
Trump in 2012, photo by Debby Wong/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Lara Lea Yunaska
Place of Birth: Wilmington, North Carolina, U.S.
Date of Birth: October 12, 1982
Ethnicity: Slovak (paternal grandfather), English, German, remote Swiss-German and Dutch
Lara Trump is an American journalist, television producer, and conspiracy theorist. She has been Co-Chair of the Republican National Committee, since March 8, 2024. She was a producer on news program Inside Edition and a producer and host of Real News Update.
Lara is the daughter of Linda and Robert Yunaska. She is married to businessperson and philanthropist Eric Trump, who is the son of Ivana Trump (born Ivana Marie Zelníčková), a model, and Donald Trump, a businessperson, television personality, and the 45th President of the United States. Lara and Eric have two children.
A 2014 article in the New York Post wrote:
The couple [Eric and Lara Trump], who have been together for six years, wed under a crystal-embellished chuppa in a ceremony officiated by Ivanka Trump’s husband, Jared Kushner.
This was interpreted by some, including the Jewish magazine Tablet, as meaning that the wedding was Jewish, and other sources therefore reported that Lara is Jewish. This is not accurate; she is not of Jewish heritage.
Lara’s paternal grandfather was Luke Max Yunaska (the son of Jozef/Joseph Yunaska/Junaska and Suzanna/Susan Hanko). Luke was born in Pennsylvania. Jozef was Slovak. Suzanna was reportedly born in Czechoslovakia and spoke Slovak, so was thus likely also of Slovak descent. Suzanna’s second husband, John Milan, was also Slovak.
Lara’s paternal grandmother Marion Jean Shealer (the daughter of Edgar George Shealer and Marion R. Plank). Lara’s grandmother Marion was born in Pennsylvania. Edgar was the son of George Washington Shealer and Eleanora Lucinda “Ella” Kelly. Marion was the daughter of Henry Edwin Plank and Annie May Kitzmiller.
Lara’s maternal grandfather was Herman Leroy Sykes (the son of James Mordicae Sykes and Minnie Clewis/Clewes). James was the son of Chas Sikes and Margarett Emirs. Minnie was the daughter of Richard L. Clewis/Clewes and Martha Jane Oliver.
Lara’s maternal grandmother was named Dorothy Page Moore.
Sources: Genealogies of Lara Trump – https://webb-site.com
https://www.geni.com
Genealogies of Lara’s paternal grandparents, Luke Max Yunaska and Marion Jean (Shealer) Yunaska – http://www.findagrave.com
Genealogy of Lara’s paternal grandfather, Luke Max Yunaska – http://www.wikitree.com
Lara’s paternal grandfather, Luke Max Yunaska, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Luke Max Yunaska on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Thanks for the shoutout, JTA!
http://www.jta.org/2017/03/21/news-opinion/politics/is-eric-trumps-wife-lara-jewish
This is probably her great-grandfather’s grave:
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=42828599&PIpi=82861853
He was born with the surname “Junaska”.
Bablah, do you know which language the text on the gravestone is in (Slovak or Czech probably)? I don’t think it is Hungarian.
Most Junaskas I’ve found have been Slovaks.
Also, Suzanna/Susan Hanko was Slovak (her language is listed as such).
So if Jozef was also Slovak, I’d change to:
Slovak (paternal grandfather), English, German, distant Swiss-German
Genealogy of her great-grandfather – http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=rudspons&id=I67813&style=TABLE
Genealogy of her great-great-grandfather – http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=stobie&id=I26857&style=TABLE
That’s Slovakian.
Sorry, Slovak.