Birth Name: Eric Hilliard Nelson
Date of Birth: May 8, 1940
Place of Birth: Teaneck, New Jersey, United States
Date of Death: December 31, 1985
Place of Death: De Kalb, Texas, United States
Ethnicity: Swedish (paternal grandfather), German (including Alsatian German), English, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, small amount of French, possibly Irish
Ricky Nelson was an American actor, singer, songwriter, and musician. He was known for his music carreer, and for starring in the series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and the film Rio Bravo.
Ricky was the son of Harriet Nelson (born Peggy Louise Snyder), a singer and actress, and Oswald George “Ozzie” Nelson, a band leader and actor. Among his children are actor Tracy Kristine and musicians Gunnar and Matthew Nelson.
Ricky’s paternal grandfather was George Waldemar Nelson (the son of Anders Magnus Hillard and Anna L. Johnson). Anders and Anna were Swedish.
Ricky’s paternal grandmother was Ethel Irene Orr (the daughter of Jackson Orr and Mary Emma Wright). Jackson was the son of Jackson Orr and Ann Eliza. Mary was the daughter of John Wright (Rietze) and Rosena Bennett Barmore. Ricky’s great-great-grandfather Jackson was born in Ireland, likely of Scots-Irish descent.
Ricky’s maternal grandfather was Roy Hilliard Snyder (the son of Jacob Hilliard Snyder and Mary Ella Harris). Jacob was the son of Jonathan Snyder and Sarah Hoffman, who had German ancestry. Mary was the daughter of Andrew J. Harris and Susann/Susanna McKinley. Susann had Scots-Irish, English, and possibly Irish ancestry, due to her mother’s surname “Drugan” being Irish.
Ricky’s maternal grandmother was Hazel Dell McNutt (the daughter of George William McNutt and Susanna/Susan Elizabeth Shunk). George was the son of George Glover McNutt and Sarah Ann Rantz, who were born in Nova Scotia, Canada, of Scots-Irish and English descent, with Sarah’s surname “Rantz” also indicating German ancestry. Ricky’s great-grandmother Susanna was the daughter of Alexander J. Shunk and Harriet Putnam, who both had German ancestry, with Harriet also having some French roots.
Sources: Genealogies of Ricky Nelson – https://www.geni.com
http://www.wikitree.com
https://familysearch.org
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com