Uncle Kracker

Uncle Kracker in 2010, photo by DFree/Bigstock.com

Birth Name: Matthew Lynford Shafer

Place of Birth: Mount Clemens, Michigan, U.S.

Date of Birth: June 6, 1974

Ethnicity: German, as well as Breton, English, French-Canadian [including Acadian], Irish, 1/512 Ojibwe Native American, and distant Belgian [both Flemish and Walloon], Dutch, and Swedish

Uncle Kracker is an American musician.

He is the son of Susan Marie (Smith) and Michael Henry Shafer. Uncle Kracker is married to Jenna. He has three children with his former wife Melanie Haas, and two children with Jenna.

Uncle Kracker’s paternal grandfather was Henry Arthur Shafer (the son of Friedrich Ernst Schäfer, later Fred Ernest Shafer, and of Elizabeth Antonie “Antoinette” Dräger). Henry was born in Detroit, Michigan. Fred was a German emigrant, from Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, and was the son of Samuel Schäfer and Elizabeth Moses. Antoinette was also a German emigrant, from Hanover, Lower Saxony, and was the daughter of Carl Dräger and Elizabeth “Betty” Herwig.

Uncle Kracker’s paternal grandmother was Dorothy Frances Collins (the daughter of Paul Albert Collins and Frances Rosemary Decaussin). Dorothy was born in Mount Clemens, Michigan. Paul was the son of a German emigrant, Robert Frederick Collin, likely of Jakobshagen, Brandenburg, and of Anna Christine Upleger, whose own father and maternal grandparents were German. Frances was of French-Canadian, Breton, as well as 1/64 Ojibwe Native American, and distant English, German, and Irish, descent, and was the daughter of Elia Peter “Eli” Decaussin and Louise Percilla Rettell. Louise’s paternal great-great-great-grandmother, Françoise Itagisse, was Obijwe Native American.

Uncle Kracker’s maternal grandfather was Lynford Raymond Smith (the son of Leland Albert Smith and Mary Arseline, later Arseline Matalida, Jarvis). Lynford was born in Detroit, Michigan. Leland was the son of Canadian emigrants, Albert Ira Smith, of Seneca Township, Haldimand County, Ontario, and Ethel May Embury, of Belleville, Ontario. Arseline was of French-Canadian, Breton, Dutch, English, German, as well as Belgian [both Flemish and Walloon] and Swedish, descent, and was the daughter of Walter Edward Gendron (later Jarvis) and Elizabeth Mary Fournier.

Uncle Kracker’s maternal grandmother was Geraldine Marie Lotzar (the daughter of Charles Edward Lotzar, Jr. and Dorothy Catherine Seitz). Geraldine was born in Cleveland, Ohio. A picture of her can be seen here. Charles was the son of Charles Augustus Lotzar, whose own parents were German and Irish, respectively; and of Delia Sharpe, who was of part Irish descent. Uncle Kracker’s great-grandmother Dorothy was the daughter of a German emigrant, Bernhard Frank Seitz, of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland), and of Mary Magdaline Jacobs, who own father and maternal grandparents were German.

Sources: Marriage record of Uncle Kracker, to Melanie Ann Haas – https://www.familysearch.org

Social security application record of Uncle Kracker’s paternal grandfather, Henry Arthur Shafer – https://aad.archives.gov

Marriage record of Uncle Kracker’s patenral great-grandparents, Fred Ernest Shafer and Elizabeth Antonie “Antoinette” Dräger – https://www.familysearch.org

Social security application record of Uncle Kracker’s paternal grandmother, Dorothy Frances (Collins) Shafer – https://aad.archives.gov

Genealogy of Uncle Kracker’s paternal great-grandfather, Paul Albert Collins – https://www.familysearch.org

Genealogy of Uncle Kracker’s paternal great-grandmother, Frances Rosemary (Decaussin) Collins – https://www.familysearch.org

Obituary of Uncle Kracker’s maternal grandfather, Lynford Raymond Smith – https://www.willandschwarzkoff.com

Marriage record of Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-grandparents, Leland Albert Smith and Arseline Matalida Jarvis – https://www.familysearch.org

Birth record of Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-grandfather, Leland Albert Smith – https://www.familysearch.org

Marriage record of Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Albert Ira Smith and Ethel May Embury – https://www.familysearch.org

Birth records of Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-grandmother, Mary Arseline Jarvis – https://www.familysearch.org
https://www.familysearch.org

Marriage records of Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Walter Edward Gendron and Elizabeth Mary Fournier – https://www.familysearch.org (Certificate)
https://www.familysearch.org (Register)

Birth records of Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Elizabeth Mary Fournier – https://www.familysearch.org
https://www.familysearch.org

Uncle Kracker’s maternal grandmother, Geraldine Marie Lotzar, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Obituaries of Uncle Kracker’s maternal grandmother, Geraldine Marie (Lotzar) Smith – https://www.tributearchive.com
https://www.echovita.com

Marriage record of Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-grandparents, Charles Edward Lotzar, Jr. and Dorothy Catherine Seitz – https://www.familysearch.org

Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-grandfather, Charles Edward Lotzar, Jr., on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Charles Augustus Lotzar, on the 1875 New York State Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Delia Sharpe, on the 1870 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Marriage record of Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Bernhard Frank Seitz and Mary Magdaline Jacobs – https://www.familysearch.org