Uncle Kracker

Birth Name: Matthew Lynford Shafer

Place of Birth: Mount Clemens, Michigan, U.S.

Date of Birth: June 6, 1974

Ethnicity: German, as well as Breton, English, French-Canadian [including Acadian], Irish, 1/512 Ojibwe Native American, and distant Belgian [both Flemish and Walloon], Dutch, and Swedish

👉 For more insights, check out this resource.

Uncle Kracker is an American musician.

He is the son of Susan Marie (Smith) and Michael Henry Shafer. Uncle Kracker is married to Jenna. He has three children with his former wife Melanie Haas, and two children with Jenna.

👉 Discover more in this in-depth guide.

Uncle Kracker’s paternal grandfather was Henry Arthur Shafer (the son of Friedrich Ernst Schäfer, later Fred Ernest Shafer, and of Elizabeth Antonie “Antoinette” Dräger). Henry was born in Detroit, Michigan. Fred was a German emigrant, from Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, and was the son of Samuel Schäfer and Elizabeth Moses. Antoinette was also a German emigrant, from Hanover, Lower Saxony, and was the daughter of Carl Dräger and Elizabeth “Betty” Herwig.

Uncle Kracker’s paternal grandmother was Dorothy Frances Collins (the daughter of Paul Albert Collins and Frances Rosemary Decaussin). Dorothy was born in Mount Clemens, Michigan. Paul was the son of a German emigrant, Robert Frederick Collin, likely of Jakobshagen, Brandenburg, and of Anna Christine Upleger, whose own father and maternal grandparents were German. Frances was of French-Canadian, Breton, as well as 1/64 Ojibwe Native American, and distant English, German, and Irish, descent, and was the daughter of Elia Peter “Eli” Decaussin and Louise Percilla Rettell. Louise’s paternal great-great-great-grandmother, Françoise Itagisse, was Obijwe Native American.

Uncle Kracker’s maternal grandfather was Lynford Raymond Smith (the son of Leland Albert Smith and Mary Arseline, later Arseline Matalida, Jarvis). Lynford was born in Detroit, Michigan. Leland was the son of Canadian emigrants, Albert Ira Smith, of Seneca Township, Haldimand County, Ontario, and Ethel May Embury, of Belleville, Ontario. Arseline was of French-Canadian, Breton, Dutch, English, German, as well as Belgian [both Flemish and Walloon] and Swedish, descent, and was the daughter of Walter Edward Gendron (later Jarvis) and Elizabeth Mary Fournier.

Uncle Kracker’s maternal grandmother was Geraldine Marie Lotzar (the daughter of Charles Edward Lotzar, Jr. and Dorothy Catherine Seitz). Geraldine was born in Cleveland, Ohio. A picture of her can be seen here. Charles was the son of Charles Augustus Lotzar, whose own parents were German and Irish, respectively; and of Delia Sharpe, who was of part Irish descent. Uncle Kracker’s great-grandmother Dorothy was the daughter of a German emigrant, Bernhard Frank Seitz, of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland), and of Mary Magdaline Jacobs, who own father and maternal grandparents were German.

Sources: Marriage record of Uncle Kracker, to Melanie Ann Haas –

Social security application record of Uncle Kracker’s paternal grandfather, Henry Arthur Shafer –

Marriage record of Uncle Kracker’s patenral great-grandparents, Fred Ernest Shafer and Elizabeth Antonie “Antoinette” Dräger –

Social security application record of Uncle Kracker’s paternal grandmother, Dorothy Frances (Collins) Shafer –

Genealogy of Uncle Kracker’s paternal great-grandfather, Paul Albert Collins –

Genealogy of Uncle Kracker’s paternal great-grandmother, Frances Rosemary (Decaussin) Collins –

Obituary of Uncle Kracker’s maternal grandfather, Lynford Raymond Smith –

Marriage record of Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-grandparents, Leland Albert Smith and Arseline Matalida Jarvis –

Birth record of Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-grandfather, Leland Albert Smith –

Marriage record of Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Albert Ira Smith and Ethel May Embury –

Birth records of Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-grandmother, Mary Arseline Jarvis –

Marriage records of Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Walter Edward Gendron and Elizabeth Mary Fournier – (Certificate) (Register)

Birth records of Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Elizabeth Mary Fournier –

Uncle Kracker’s maternal grandmother, Geraldine Marie Lotzar, on the 1930 U.S. Census –

Obituaries of Uncle Kracker’s maternal grandmother, Geraldine Marie (Lotzar) Smith –

Marriage record of Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-grandparents, Charles Edward Lotzar, Jr. and Dorothy Catherine Seitz –

Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-grandfather, Charles Edward Lotzar, Jr., on the 1910 U.S. Census –

Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Charles Augustus Lotzar, on the 1875 New York State Census –

Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Delia Sharpe, on the 1870 U.S. Census –

Marriage record of Uncle Kracker’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Bernhard Frank Seitz and Mary Magdaline Jacobs –