Rob Lowe

Lowe in 2011, photo by PrPhotos

Birth Name: Robert Hepler Lowe

Place of Birth: Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S.

Date of Birth: March 17, 1964

Ethnicity: German (about half), along with English, Irish, Welsh, and Scottish

Rob Lowe is an American actor, filmmaker, and podcast host. His roles include the films The Outsiders, Class, The Hotel New Hampshire, Oxford Blues, St. Elmo’s Fire, Youngblood, About Last Night…, Masquerade, Bad Influence, Wayne’s World, Frank and Jesse, Tommy Boy, Contact, the Austin Powers franchise, The Specials, View from the Top, Thank You for Smoking, The Invention of Lying, Sex Tape, Super Troopers 2, and Dog Gone, and television’s A New Kind of Family, The West Wing, Brothers & Sisters, Parks and Recreation, Code Black, and 9-1-1: Lone Star.

He was born in Charlottesville, Virginia, the son of Barbara Lynn (Hepler), a schoolteacher and native of Shelby County, Ohio, and Charles Davis Lowe, a trial lawyer, from Indiana. His brother is actor Chad Lowe (Charles Davis Lowe II). He was raised in Dayton, Ohio, and then Point Dume, Malibu, California. Rob is of approximately half German ancestry; both of his parents were of part German descent. Rob also has English, Irish, Welsh, and Scottish ancestry.

Rob is married to Sheryl Berkoff, a make-up artist, with whom he has two children, lawyer Matthew Lowe and writer, producer, and actor John Owen Lowe.

Rob’s paternal grandfather was Robert Edward Lowe (the son of John Frank/Franklin/C. Lowe and Flora E. Nienaber). Rob’s grandfather Robert was born in Indiana. John was the son of James M. Lowe and Arminta/Mary. Flora was born in Indiana, to German parents, Henry Nienaber, from Oldenburg, and Philomena Linschmidt, from Prussia.

Rob’s paternal grandmother was Maurine Davis (the daughter of James Oliver Davis and Nell/Nellie/Nelle H. Rushen/Rusken/Ruskin). Maurine was born in California. James was the son of Newton M. Davis and Lucinda H. Bennett. Nell was the daughter of Mantford F. Rushen and Amanda Ellen Hoss.

Rob’s maternal grandfather was Robert Monroe Hepler (the son of Oran William Hepler and Bessie Mae/May East). Rob’s grandfather Robert Hepler was born in Ohio. Oran was the son of Lewis Hepler and Sarah Ellen Alt, who were of German descent. Bessie was the daughter of Monroe M./Samuel East and Priscilla Alice Crider, who were both also of German origin.

Rob’s maternal grandmother was Margaret Olive Grouver (the daughter of Harry Ford Grouver and Olive Marie Owen). Margaret was born in Ohio. Harry was the son of John J. Gruver, whose parents were German, and of Jane/Jennie Ellen Lilley. Rob’s great-grandmother Olive was the daughter of Griffith C. Owen and Melissa McFarlin.

Sources: Genealogies of Rob Lowe – https://www.geni.com
http://freepages.rootsweb.com

Rob’s paternal grandmother, Maurine Davis, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org