What was John Denver’s ethnic background on his mother’s side? – father’s name seems German- wonder about moms
-he was born in New Mexico – mother’s name is Erma Louise Swope, b.1922, and I would like to know if she has American Indian descent at all. The family also lived n Arizona, and a grandmother, Anna Elizabeth Koop was b. 8 Aug 1907 in Cordell, OK (Washita County) & d. 26 Dec 1985 in Clinton, OK — all of these areas have high numbers of American Indian families…… I wonder if that could be part of John Denver’s connection to the land – he remarked at one point that he felt a connection with Indigenous peoples– and his nice eyes really have a American Indian look to them, but maybe they didn’t think it was a good career move to announce it because of all the things that happened with AIM, Wounded Knee, etc during the 70s……….. I’d really like to know about this- any genealogists out there who know the answer, or are challenged to seek an answer, to this?
Although Wikipedia lists John Denver’s mother as Erma Louise Swope (born in 1922), the 1930 US Census only lists an Ora Louisa Swope. Ora Louisa was born in Cloudcroft, Otero, New Mexico, about 1922, the daughter of Dave A. Swope (born in New Mexico in 1897) and his wife, Est[h]er V. (b. 1900). Dave (or David) is the son of Jack A. Swope born in Texas in 1867, whose parents came from Kentucky and Missouri, respectively. Dave’s wife, Ara, was born in 1880 in Texas; her father came from South Carolina and her mother from Georgia. An Erma Louise Swope (b. 1922), however, did attended high school in Tulsa, Oklahoma, according to a high school annual, so this could possibly be her as well.
Ancestry.com shows no other historical records, and Denver’s mom is listed as a “Living Swope” on all public family trees, so no further information is available about her.
According to public family trees found on Ancestry.com, John Denver’s father, Henry John Deutschendorf (1920–1982), was the son of John Henry Deutschendorf, who was born in Russia in 1895, and Anna Elizabeth Koop, who although she was born in Oklahoma in 1907, was the daughter of Heinrich Koop and Elizabeth Janzen who were both born in Russia in 1870 and 1874, respectively.
Sorry, but I don’t find any record of Native Americans in John Denver’s background.