Peter Billingsley
LOS ANGELES – MAR 26: Billingsley arrives at the Launch of Kimberly Snyder’s “The Beauty Detox Foods”‘ at the Smashbox Studios on March 26, 2013 in Los Angeles, CA kathclick/bigstock.com
Birth Name: Peter Michaelsen/Billingsley-Michaelsen
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: April 16, 1971
Ethnicity:
*father – German, Baltic German
*mother – English, Scottish
Peter Billingsley is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his roles in the A Christmas Story films, as well as Death Valley, The Dirt Bike Kid, The Break-Up, and Spider-Man: Far From Home, and for having directed the films Couples Retreat and Term Life.
Peter is the son of Gail Billingsley and Alwin Michaelsen, a financial consultant. He is a great-great-nephew of Sherman Billingsley, who owned the Stork Club. His cousin, Glenn Billingsley, was the husband of actress Barbara Billingsley.
Peter’s paternal grandfather was Alwin Heinrich/Cornelius Christian Max Michaelsen (the son of Cornelius Ernst Carl Michaelsen and Christine Kroger). Peter’s grandfather Cornelius was born in Lübeck, Germany.
Peter’s paternal grandmother was named Rita Elinor/Ellinor Sigrid Patzner. Rita was born in Tallinn, Harju, Estonia, and was likely of Baltic German descent.
Peter’s maternal grandfather was Frederick K. Billingsley (the son of Frederick Kennyon Billingsley and Hazel Ewing). Peter’s grandfather Frederick was born in Washington. Peter’s great-grandfather Frederick was the son of Robert W. Billingsley and Emily Collingsworth.
Peter’s maternal grandmother was named Mildred L. Cunningham. Mildred was born in New York.
Sources: Marriage record of Peter’s paternal grandparents, Alwin Heinrich/Cornelius Christian Max Michaelsen and Rita Elinor/Ellinor Sigrid Patzner, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Peter’s paternal grandparents, Alwin Heinrich/Cornelius Christian Max Michaelsen and Rita Elinor/Ellinor Sigrid Patzner, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
U.S. Naturalization record of Peter’s paternal grandfather, Alwin Heinrich/Cornelius Christian Max Michaelsen – https://www.familysearch.org
Lutheran church family list record of Peter’s paternal grandmother, Rita Elinor/Ellinor Sigrid Patzner – https://www.familysearch.org
U.S. Naturalization record of Peter’s paternal grandmother, Rita Elinor/Ellinor Sigrid Patzner – https://www.familysearch.org
Darren McGavin (Born William Lyle Richardson,) who played the role of his father in “A Christmas Story,” was overwhelmingly of English ancestry with distant Dutch as well as French Hugenot, Swedish and German descent.
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Richardson-15393
In the 1930 Census his grandfather is identified as Alwin, born in 1894:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4P4-M8N
Alwin’s naturalisation document:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:8ZD8-NHPZ
Rita’s naturalisation document, which states that she was born in Reval, Estonia:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ZNFN-KRZM
However her race is listed as German, indicating that she was probably Baltic German in origin.
Here is an Estonian birth record for a Rita Ellinor Sigrid Patzner, whose birthday matches Rita’s:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6D5M-QYXX
A marriage record between an Alwin Heinrich Michaelsen and Rita Ellinor Sigrid Patzner, their approximate birthyears align:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6DQC-TQYS
There is a discrepency in terms of marriage however. Their naturalisation documents state that they married on 25 September 1923 in Hamburg, Germany, while their marriage document states they married on the 12 August 1923 in Tallinn. However the chances of two different couples having these names are zero to none.