Profile Text
Birth Name: Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives
Date of Birth: June 14, 1909
Place of Birth: Hunt City, Illinois, U.S.
Date of Death: April 14, 1995
Place of Death: Anacortes, Washington, U.S.
Ethnicity: English, small amounts of Dutch, Scottish, German, Irish, and French Huguenot, 1/64th Cherokee Native American
Burl Ives was an American singer and actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for The Big Country (1958). He is also known for the song “A Holly Jolly Christmas.”
Burl was the son of Cordelia/Cordellia “Dellie”/Della (White) and Levi Franklin “Frank”/James Ives, a farmer and contractor. He had English, Dutch, Scottish, German, Irish, and French ancestry. Also, one of his fourth great-grandmothers, Morning Dove, was likely a Cherokee Native American.
Burl was married to Dorothy Koster, until his death. He had a son with his former wife Helen Peck Ehrlich.
Burl’s paternal grandfather was William Riley Ives (who likely was the son of John Ives and Martha “Patty” Vanatten/Vanatter). William was born in Pennsylvania. John was the son of John Ives and Mehitabel Rose.
Burl’s paternal grandmother was Charlotte Josephine Ordway (the daughter of Abraham/Abram Ordway and Sally Wright). Charlotte was born in New York. Abraham was born in Strafford, Orange, Vermont, the son of Aaron Ordway and Susannah Johnson.
Burl’s maternal grandfather was Cyrus/Sirus G. White (the son of Warren White and Dicy/Dica Sanders). Cyrus was born in Indiana. Warren was born in Indiana, the son of David White and Mary “Polly” Denney/Denny. Dicy was born in Indiana, the daughter of Joseph Sanders, whose father fought in the Revolutionary War; and of Nancy Cox. Joseph’s grandmother is said to have been Morning Dove, a Cherokee Native American.
Burl’s maternal grandmother was Sarah Catherine Flinn (the daughter of Josiah Flinn, Jr. and Sarah Ellen/Elen McDonald). Burl’s grandmother Sarah was born in Bloomfield, Greene, Indiana. Josiah was born in North Carolina, and likely was the son of Josiah Flinn and Caty Moser. Burl’s great-grandmother Sarah was born in Ohio, the daughter of Joseph McDonald and Hannah Carl.
Sources: Genealogies of Burl Ives – https://www.geni.com https://www.findagrave.com https://famouskin.com
Genealogy of Burl’s maternal great-grandmother, Dicy/Dica Sanders – https://www.geni.com