Profile Text
Birth Name: Karen Anne Carpenter
Date of Birth: March 2, 1950
Place of Birth: New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
Date of Death: February 4, 1983
Place of Death: Downey, California, U.S.
Ethnicity: English, German, as well as Cornish, Irish, Dutch, Scottish, and Welsh
Karen Carpenter was an American singer and drummer. She was the sister of singer Richard Carpenter, with whom she formed vocal and instrumental duo The Carpenters.
Karen was the daughter of Agnes Reuwer and Harold Bertram Carpenter. Her father was born in Wuzhou, Guangxi, China, to missionary parents.
Karen’s paternal grandfather was George Bertram Carpenter (the son of Thomas Carpenter and Susan Seal). George was from Hammersmith, London. Thomas was born in Hadleigh, Suffolk, the son of Joseph Carpenter and Sarah Rainham. Susah was born in Ball’s Pond, Middlesex, the daughter of William Seal and Jane Isaac.
Karen’s paternal grandmother was Nellie Jane/Janett Lynn (the daughter of Elmer Eugene Lynn and Emma Gene Briggs). Nellie was born in Wellsville, Allegany, New York. Elmer was born in Jerusalem, Yates, New York, the son of William Lynn and Matilda A. Conley, whose own paternal grandfather was from County Roscommon, Ireland. Karen’s great-grandmother Emma was born in Dresden, Yates, the daughter of George Delavan/Delevan Briggs and Martha Ingley. George’s paternal fifth great-grandmother, Ruhamah Samoset, is sometimes said to have been a Nauset Native American. This is disputed.
Karen’s maternal grandfather was George Arthur Tatum (the son of James Tatum, Jr. and Jennie Elizabeth Short). George was born in Baltimore City, Baltimore, Maryland. James was born in Marlyand, the son of James Tatum and Mary Catherine/Catharine Sure/Isaac. Karen’s great-grandmother Jennie was born in Baltimore, the daughter of Benjamin Franklin Short and Elizabeth Carrie/Caroline Guyton.
Karen’s maternal grandmother was Anna May Reuwer (the daughter of Theodore H. Reuwer and Elizabeth D. Schmidt). Anna was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Theodore was born in Baltimore, the son of German emigrants, Frederick Dieterick/Deiterick Reuwer, of Hanover, Niedersachsen, Prussia; and Catherine/Catharine Wilhelmina Scheck, of Wimsheim, Leonberg, Württemberg. Karen’s great-grandmother Elizabeth was born in Baltimore, the daughter of German emigrants, Philipp/Phillip D. Schmidt, of Darmstadt, Hesse; and Mary, of Saxony, Prussia.
Sources: Genealogies of Karen Carpenter – http://www.wargs.com https://www.geni.com https://www.wikitree.com