Birth Name: Joanna Crussie DeVarona
Place of Birth: San Francisco, California, United States
Date of Birth: February 12, 1953
Ethnicity: Cuban (Spanish, Basque, more distant Portuguese and Indigenous) (paternal grandfather), German, English, Welsh, Irish
Joanna Kerns is an American actress and director. She is known for her role in the sitcom Growing Pains. Joanna is the daughter of Martha Louise (Smith) and David Cruz Thomas de Varona. Her sister is competition swimmer and Olympic gold medalist Donna de Varona.
Joanna is often described as having Mexican (from her father) and Irish (from her mother) ancestry. This is not accurate. Joanna’s father is of half Cuban descent, including Spanish, Basque, Portuguese, and Indigenous Cuban roots; his mother likely had Welsh ancestry, due to her maiden name, “Thomas”, usually being a Welsh name. His mother may have had other ancestry as well. Joanna’s mother was of mostly German descent, with some Irish ancestry as well.
Joanna’s paternal grandparents were Joseph de la Cruz de Varona Betancourt (the son of Ignacio María de Varona y Agüero and María Luisa Betancourt Cisneros) and Elizabeth Thomas. Ignacio and María were born in Cuba. Elizabeth was born in Pennsylvania, to Pennsylvania-born parents.
Joanna’s maternal grandparents were Salem Kappler Smith (the son of Heinrich/Henry D. Schmidt/Smith and Caroline Kappler) and Lenora Kame Helwig (the daughter of Rhinehold Fisher Helwig and Ella Fisher Campbell). Heinrich was born in Pennsylvania, to a German father, John Adam Smith, and an American mother, Caroline Dietz, of German descent. Caroline was born in Pennsylvania, to German parents. Rhinehold was born in Holidaysburg, Pennsylvania, to German parents. Ella was born in Columbia, Pennsylvania, and had German and Irish ancestry.
Sources: Birth certificate of Joanna Kerns – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy of Joanna Kerns (focusing on her father’s side) – http://www.shorebirdsresearch.com
Genealogy of Joanna’s father, David Cruz Thomas de Varona – https://familysearch.org
Joanna’s father, David Cruz Thomas de Varona, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy of Joanna’s paternal grandfather, Jose de la Cruz Varona – http://www.geni.com
Obituaries of Joanna’s mother, Martha Louise (Smith) de Varona – https://familysearch.org
https://familysearch.org
Genealogies of Joanna’s maternal grandfather, Salem Kappler Smith – http://www.findagrave.com
https://familysearch.org
Joanna’s maternal grandfather, Salem Kappler Smith, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Genealogies of Joanna’s maternal grandmother, Lenora Kame Helwig – http://www.findagrave.com
http://www.ancestry.co.uk
https://familysearch.org
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