Michael Esper
Esper in 2018, photo by kathclick/www.bigstockphoto.com/
Birth Name: Michael James Esper
Place of Birth: Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: December 1, 1976
Ethnicity:
*40.625% German
*25% Lebanese/Syrian
*25% Italian
*9.375% English
Michael Esper is an American actor.
Michael is the son of acting teachers Suzanne and William “Bill” Esper, of The William Esper Studio in Manhattan.
Michael’s paternal grandfather was James V. Esper (the son of Slaby/Sliba/Slaiby “Sylvester” Esper and Helen Joseph Simon). James was born in Pennsylvania, to Arab emigrant parents. Slaby was born in Damascus, Syria, or in Lebanon, the son of Abraham Esper. Helen was also from Sabtiyeh, Lebanon, the daughter of Salomon.
Michael’s paternal grandmother was Daisy Mae/May Perram (the daughter of Elmer H. Perram and Clara L. Itschner). Daisy was born in Ohio. Elmer was the son of Charles Henry Perram, whose parents were English, and of Julia Ann Green, whose father was the son of German parents, and whose mother was English. Clara was the daughter of Herman C. Itschner/Itchner, whose parents were German, and of Louisa Straub, whose parents were from France and Germany, and were ethnic Germans.
Michael’s maternal grandfather was Emil Hans Oberjat, Jr. (the son of Emil Oberjat, Sr. and Elise Werner/Wagner). Michael’s grandfather Emil was born in Germany. Michael’s great-grandfather Emil was the son of Leopold Oberjat and Henriette Gelhaar. Elise was the daughter of Jacob Werner/Wagner and Elizabeth Hergenhau.
Michael’s maternal grandmother was Lucia/Lucy Irene Lomacchio/Macchio/Machio (the daughter of Thomas J. Machio and Anne Spano). Lucia was born in New York, to Italian parents.
Sources: http://prabook.com
Marriage record of Michael’s paternal grandparents, James V. Esper and Daisy Mae/May Perram – http://www.familysearch.org
Michael’s paternal grandfather, James V. Esper, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
James V. Esper on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Michael’s paternal great-grandparents, Slaby/Sliba/Slaiby “Sylvester” Esper and Helen Joseph Simon – https://www.familysearch.org
Obituary of Michael’s paternal grandmother, Daisy Mae/May (Perram) Esper – http://www.newspapers.com
Obituary of Michael’s maternal great-aunt (grandfather’s sister) – http://www.legacy.com
Death record of Michael’s maternal grandmother, Lucia/Lucy Irene (Lomacchio/Macchio/Machio) Oberjat – http://www.familysearch.org
Obituary of Michael’s maternal great-aunt (grandmother’s sister) – http://newspaperarchive.com
Michael Esper’s great grandmother Helen Joseph Simon (Helen Esper) was from Sabtiyeh, Lebanon which is near Beirut, as can be seen in her naturalization act of 1927 in Ohio (mispelled as Sabita) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPH7-DNT4
Slaby Esper, son of an Abraham, and Helen Joseph, son of a Salomon, in their marriage act of 1906 in Fayette, Pennsylvania https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VF3M-366
In the Census of 1910 in Pennsylvania Slaby appears as Sylvester Esper along with Helen Joseph and their first child James “Jimmie” and a boarder named John Abraham https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MG4X-H5J
I still have not found an official document on familysearch that says Slaby Esper was from Damascus. So far I think its very likely he is also from Sabtiyeh, Lebanon (near Beirut) like his wife as its usually the case. His cousin Hadus Azar was likely from Lebanon.
There is a possibility that Slaby’s second name was Abdoul. An Abdoul Esper from Beirut, Lebanon, born around the same time as Slaby in 1885, and who had a cousin named John Salomon in Pennsylvania, arrived to US can be seen here https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JFS6-32V
The Espers that settle in Fayette, Pennsylvania were Maronites from Lebanon, like the Esper family of the former secretary of defense Mark Esper which was from Kafra, Lebanon very close to Beirut as you can see Mark’s grandfather Mike Esper here https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JXTC-MP2. You can see Mark Esper’s father Thomas as a child in this census in Fayette, Pennsylvania) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQHP-QRY
In any case Michael Esper is at least 12% Lebanese, possibly 25% Lebanese.
Sliba/Slaby “Sylvester” Esper (1880-1927) and Helen Joseph Simon (1885-) can be seen here https://www.ancestry.co.uk/genealogy/records/nicholas-esper-24-1v9qqbz
Helen Esper Joseph in the 1940 Census in Ohio as a widow with her 3 sons (who were all born in Pennsylvania) and a cousin of her deceased husband named Hadus Azar who appears also in Slaby’s death certificate https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4QN-928