LOS ANGELES – NOV 5: James at the 33rd Breeder’s Cup World Championship at the Santa Anita Park on November 5, 2016 in Arcadia, CA. Photo by kathclick/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Morgan Aland Grunerud
Place of Birth: Boise, Idaho, U.S.
Date of Birth: November 24, 1981
Ethnicity:
*father – three quarters Norwegian, one quarter Swedish
*mother – German, English, Scottish, remote Irish
Morgan James is an American singer, songwriter, and actress.
She is the daughter of educators and actors Shellie Harwood and Allen Grunerud. Her brother, Nicholas, is a comedian and avant-garde musician. She was raised partly in Pocatello, Idaho, Utah, Tennessee, and Modesto, California. Morgan is married to jazz vocalist and guitarist Doug Wamble.
Morgan’s paternal grandfather was Orion L. Grunerud (the son of Almer Grunerud and Rosine Cornelia Holen). Orion was born in Broderick, Saskatchewan, Canada. Almer was the son of Norwegian parents, Frederick Olufsen Grunerud, from Sand, and Berta Karina Knudsdatter Voll, from Mosterøy. Rosine was the daughter of August Holen and Chestina Nilsen Brettingen, who were born in Wisconsin, both of them to Norwegian parents, from Oppland.
Morgan’s paternal grandmother was Frances Aresvik (the daughter of John Aresvik and Marie G. Eastlund). Frances was born in Spokane, Washington, to a Norwegian father and a Swedish mother. John was the son of Jacob Aresvik and Maria Megaard. Marie was the daughter of Johan Eastlund and Mathilda Nelson.
Morgan’s maternal grandfather was Robert Earl Young (the son of Harold Edwin Young and Violet May Ferch). Robert was born in Bathgate, North Dakota. Harold was the son of Edwin Michael Young, whose father was an Alsatian emigrant, and whose mother was of German descent; and of Jennie M. Campbell, who was Scottish. Violet was the daughter of Johann Michael Ferch, a German emigrant, from Schlagenthin, Brandenburg, and of Caroline Schwärtzel, whose parents were also German, from Baden.
Morgan’s maternal grandmother was Laurel Luckett “Lucky” Aland (the daughter of George Clarence Aland and Harriet Ferguson Minich). Lucky was born in Pegram, Idaho. George was the son of English parents, James Orchand Aland, who had roots in Wiltshire, and Sarah Ann Holmes, whose family was from Huntingdonshire. Harriet was the daughter of Charles Augustus Minich, Sr., who was of mostly German descent, with some distant Scottish, and of Verlinda Luckett Ferguson, who was mostly of Scottish and English ancestry.
Sources: Genealogy of Morgan James – https://www.familysearch.org
Obituary of Morgan’s maternal grandmother, Laurel Luckett “Lucky” (Aland) Daniel – https://www.tributearchive.com
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