Birth Name: Ella Linnea Wahlestedt
Place of Birth: Stockholm, Sweden
Ethnicity: Swedish, German, 1/16th Norwegian
Ella Wahlestedt is a Swedish-born American actress. Her father is Swedish. Her mother, who is American, is of three quarters German (ethnic Germans from Russia), one eighth Norwegian, and one eighth Swedish, descent.
Ella’s paternal grandparents are Åke Wahlestedt (Karl Åke Wahlestedt, the son of Karl Robert Wahlestedt and Ella Virginia Carlson) and Irena Jadwiga/Jadviga Jacobson. Åke was a Swedish diplomat.
Ella’s maternal grandfather is Norman Dean Thorson (the son of Edward John Thorson and Lydia Nuss). Edward was born in Illinois, to Johan Thorson, who was Norwegian, and Helga Johanson, who was Swedish. Lydia was born in Kansas, to ethnic German parents from Russia, George Nuss and Eva Elizabeth Galliart.
Ella’s maternal grandmother is Marcella Kisner (the daughter of George Joseph/John Kisner and Anna Marie Kisner). George was the son of Johannes/John Kisner and Mary Anna Schwerdt. Anna was the daughter of Johann Andreas Kisner and Katherina/Catherine Schulmeister. George and Anna were both from ethnic German families from Russia.
Sources: Ella’s maternal great-grandfather, Edward John Thorson, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy of Ella’s maternal great-grandparents, George Joseph Kisner and Anna Marie Kisner – http://www.findagrave.com
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