Profile Text
Birth Name: John Hoyer Updike
Date of Birth: March 18, 1932
Place of Birth: Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Date of Death: January 27, 2009
Place of Death: Danvers, Massachusetts, U.S.
Ethnicity: * father – Dutch, English, some Scots-Irish/Northern Irish * mother – German
John Updike was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic. He is known for his novels and short stories, particularly about Rabbit Angstrom, Henry Bech, and The Witches of Eastwick.
John was the son of Linda Grace (Hoyer) Updike, a writer, and Wesley Russell Updike, an educator and soldier. He was raised in the small town Shillington, and later the unincorporated village Plowville, both in Berks County, Pennsylvania.
John was married to social worker Martha Ruggles Bernhard Updike, until his death. He had four children, including art teacher, ceramicist, painter, and illustrator Elizabeth Updike Cobblah and writer and academic David Updike, with his former wife, visual artist Mary Pennington (Updike) Weatherall.
The surname Updike originates with a Dutch ancestor, likely named Opdyck/Opdycke/Opdijk.
John’s paternal grandfather was The Rev. Hartley Titus Updike (the son of Archibald Updike and Mary Elizabeth/Elisabeth Titus). The Rev. Hartley was born in Pennington, Mercer, New Jersey, and was a Presbyterian minister. Archibald was born in Princeton, Mercer, the son of Peter Updike and Louisa Terhune. Mary Elizabeth was born in New Jersey, the daughter of Nathaniel H. Titus and Emeline Johnson. Through this line, John was a third cousin, once removed, of vocalist, harpist, keyboardist, and songwriter Joanna Newsom . John’s great-great-grandparents Peter and Louisa, were also Joanna’s paternal great-great-great-grandparents.
John’s paternal grandmother was Virginia Emily Blackwood (the daughter of John Franklin/Forsythe Blackwood and Mary Connell). Virginia was born in La Grange, Lewis, Missouri. John was born in Mercer, Kentucky, the son of Joseph Blackwood and Sarah “Sally” Neeld, whose mother was from County Donegal, Ireland. Mary was born in Ohio.
John’s maternal grandfather was John Franklin Hoyer (the son of Isaac S. Hoyer and Mary Fry). John was born in Berks, Pennsylvania, and was of entirely or mostly German descent. Isaac was born in Reading, Berks, the son of Samuel Hoyer and Susanna Seifrit. Mary was born in Pennsylvania, the daughter of John Fry and Hannah Fries/Frees.
John’s maternal grandmother was Katherine/Katharine/Kattie/Katie Ziemer Kramer (the daughter of Samuel Kramer and Juliana Ziemer). Katie was born in Pennsylvania. Samuel was born in Berks, Pennsylvania, the son of Henry Kramer, whose maternal grandfather was from Groetzingen, Germany; and of Elizabeth Fitterling Fritz, who had at least three German-born grandparents. John’s great-grandmother Juliana was born in Berks, the daughter of Peter Schweitzer Ziemer, whose maternal grandparents were from Württemberg, Germany; and of Justina Hertz, whose grandparents were all German, her paternal grandparents from Schleswig-Holstein and Bavaria, respectively, and her maternal grandparents from Württemberg.
Sources: Genealogies of John Updike – https://www.geni.com https://www.wikitree.com https://www.findagrave.com
John Updike on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of John Updike (focusing on his father’s side) – https://famouskin.com