Diana Ross, the celebrated lead vocalist of The Supremes and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, was born in Detroit on March 26, 1944. Her parents, Fred Ross Sr. and Ernestine (Moten) Ross, married on March 18, 1941, marking the beginning of a family lineage that has intrigued fans and genealogists alike. After their divorce, Ernestine remarried to John Jordan, further expanding the family narrative. Diana Ross’s family story is not just about her immediate upbringing but also extends to a rich tapestry of ancestors, including her sister Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee, a distinguished figure in osteopathic medicine. Delving into the Diana Ross Family history reveals fascinating details about her paternal and maternal roots, correcting some common misconceptions and shedding light on the background of this iconic singer.
Paternal Lineage: Exploring the Ross Family History
The paternal side of the Diana Ross family starts with her father, Fred Ross, born on July 4, 1920, in Bluefield, West Virginia, and who passed away on November 21, 2007. Contrary to some online sources like Wikipedia, which incorrectly list Diana Ross’s paternal grandparents as John E. Ross and Virginia Baytop and her great-grandmother as Frankey Baytop, a former slave and midwife, the true lineage is different. While Frankey Baytop’s occupation as a midwife is confirmed by the 1880 census, she is not related to Diana Ross.
Correcting Misconceptions: William Edward Ross and Ida Snead
Diana Ross’s actual paternal grandparents were William Edward Ross and Ida (Snead) Ross. This correction is crucial for accurately tracing the Diana Ross family tree.
In 1918, William Edward Ross registered for the World War I draft while residing in Graham, Tazewell County, Virginia, identifying his wife Ida as his closest relative. By 1920, the census recorded William E. Ross in Graham with his wife, Ida D. J. W., and their daughters Georgia and Edna. William’s age was listed as 38, and Ida’s as 33. This census was taken months before Fred Ross’s birth.
The Early Life of Fred Ross and the Ross Ancestors
According to Beatrice Moore Cope, Ida Ross passed away when Fred was only two years old. William Edward Ross then sent his children to live with relatives and himself died a few years later. Young Fred Ross was raised by his aunt and uncle, Ella Ross and George Cope, in Rogersville, Tennessee. However, Ella passed away in 1928, and Fred was then sent to live with relatives in Detroit. George Cope later remarried Beatrice Moore, who provided insights into the Ross family in a 2001 interview. The 1930 census shows a nine-year-old Fred Ross living as a boarder in Detroit with James and Elizabeth Roberts, with no familial relationship specified.
Beatrice Moore Cope suggested that Diana Ross inherited her musical talent from her grandmother, whom she mistakenly identified as Ida Brice. However, census records and marriage licenses confirm Ida Ross’s maiden name was Snead, not Brice, and that she was a Virginia native. Ed Ross and Ida Snead married on November 19, 1904, in Norton, Wise County, Virginia. William Edward Ross, Diana Ross’s grandfather, was born on April 11, 1880. The 1880 census lists Edward Ross with his parents, Frederick and Hannah, and a sibling named John.
Tracing Back Further: Frederick Ross and Hannah Varnell
Diana Ross’s great-grandparents on her father’s side were Frederick Ross and Hannah Varnell. Frederick Ross was born in May 1847 in Tennessee, though some relatives cite Gate City, Virginia, as his birthplace. Hannah was born in Tennessee in March 1851. They married in Hawkins County on August 6, 1876. Hannah passed away in Rogersville on December 7, 1917, due to heart failure from pneumonia. Frederick and Hannah had ten children, seven of whom were alive by 1900: John, Edward, Harvey, Robert, Joseph, Eliza E., and Laura. Frederick Ross was reportedly born on the Rotherwood plantation in Hawkins County, owned by Reverend Frederick A. Ross. In 1850, Reverend Ross owned enslaved people but later emancipated them.
Maternal Lineage: Delving into the Moten Family History
Diana Ross’s mother, Ernestine Moten, was born on January 27, 1916, in Allenville, Hale County, Alabama, and passed away in October 1984 in Southfield, near Detroit. In the 1920 census, Ernasteen Moten, aged five, was recorded as the youngest child in the household of M. W. and Bell Moten in Bessemer, Jefferson County, Alabama.
William Moten and Isabella Caldwell: Diana Ross’s Maternal Grandparents
Ernestine’s parents, and Diana Ross’s maternal grandparents, were William Moten, a farmer and later a preacher, and Isabella (Caldwell) Moten. William Moten’s birth year is inconsistent across records, ranging from 1861 to 1867. He passed away in March 1968. Isabella (Caldwell) Moten was born around 1873 in Alabama and died at the age of eighty on August 15, 1953, in Bessemer, Jefferson County, Alabama. Her death certificate lists her parents as Hamp Caldwell and Cealia Jones.
Hamp Caldwell: Diana Ross’s Maternal Great-Grandfather
Hamp Caldwell, Diana Ross’s maternal great-grandfather, was born around 1844 in Alabama and died on September 2, 1934, in Greensboro, Hale County, Alabama. His death certificate names his father as Dave Caldwell, further extending the Diana Ross family history on her mother’s side.
Conclusion: A Rich Family Heritage
Exploring the Diana Ross family history reveals a detailed and rich heritage, filled with stories unearthed from census records, marriage licenses, and death certificates. From her paternal Ross lineage in Virginia and Tennessee to her maternal Moten roots in Alabama, Diana Ross’s background is a testament to the diverse and fascinating histories that make up the fabric of American families. Understanding her family provides a deeper appreciation for the person and the icon, Diana Ross.
NOTES AND REFERENCES
[1] J. Randy Taraborrelli, Call Her Miss Ross: The Unauthorized Biography of Diana Ross (New York: Carol Publishing Group, 1989), p. 34.
[2] Taraborrelli, Diana Ross: A Biography (New York: Citadel Press, 2007), p. 478.
[3] Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee biography, “The History Makers,” online (http://www.idvl.org/thehistorymakers/Bio323.html), accessed 14 August 2014.
[4] Taraborrelli, Call Her Miss Ross, p. 33.
[5] “Diana Ross’ Father Dies at 87,” UPI, online (www.upi.com), accessed 10 September 2014.
[6] “Diana Ross,” online, www.wikipedia.org (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Ross), accessed 5 August 2013.
[7] Washington Ross household, 1880 U.S. census, Gloucester Co., Va., population schedule, Retsworth Dist., ED 25, SD 1, family 92, dwelling 92, p. 151B, NARS microfilm T9-1367.
[8] Taraborrelli, Call Her Miss Ross, pp. 33, 520, which cites interviews with Fred Ross by the author and Reginald Wilson.
[9] William Edward Ross, no. 45-2-49C, World War I draft registration (12 Sep. 1918), Graham, Va., “World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917—1918,” online database, www.ancestry.com, accessed 5 August 2013.
[10] William E. Ross household, 1920 U.S. census, Tazewell Co., Va., population schedule, Graham, ED 13, SD 9, p. 86, dwelling 123, family 136, NARS microfilm T625-1917.
[11] Taraborrelli, Call Her Miss Ross, p. 33.
[12] Rodney Ferrell, “Diana Ross: Her Rogersville, Tennessee Roots,” Rogersville Review, 14 November 2001, Douglass-Riverview News and Current Events, online, (http://douglassalumni.blogspot.com/2008/08/diana-ross-her-hawkins-county-roots-are.html), accessed 5 August 2013.
[13] Ella Ross Cope death certificate, no. 21488 (1928); Tennessee State Department of Health and Environment, Nashville.
[14] “Diana Ross: Her Rogersville, Tennessee Roots,” Rogersville Review, 14 November 2001, online.
[15] James Roberts household, 1930 U.S. census, Wayne Co., Tenn., population schedule, Detroit, ED 82-131, SD 21, p. 210, dwelling [blank], family 32, NARS microfilm T626-1036.
[16] “Diana Ross: Her Rogersville, Tennessee Roots,” Rogersville Review, 14 November 2001, online.
[17] Ed Ross/Ida Snead entry (1904), “Virginia, Marriages, 1785-1940,” FamilySearch, online database (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X5YV-18F), accessed 10 September 2014, citing Norton, Wise, Co., Va., reference p 110 cn 282, FHL microfilm 34394.
[18] William Edward Ross WWI draft registration, previously cited.
[19] Frederick Ross household, 1880 U.S. census, Hawkins Co., Tenn., pop. sched., 10th Civil District, ED 87, SD 1, p. 366, dwelling 116, family 118, NARS microfilm T9-1261.
[20] Ella Ross Cope death certificate, no. 21488 (1928), states her father, Fred Ross, was born in Gate City, Va. The informant was her husband, George Cope.
[21] Frederick Ross/Hannah Varnell marriage license, Marriage Records (Jan. 1874-Jan. 1879), p. 124, Hawkins Co., Tenn., FHL microfilm 000,972,789.
[22] Hannah Ross death certificate, no. 236 (1917), Tennessee State Department of Health and Environment, Nashville.
[23] “Diana Ross: Her Rogersville, Tennessee Roots” Rogersville Review, 14 Nov. 2001, online. Also, Reverend Frederick A. Ross household, 1850 U.S. census, Hawkins Co., Tenn., population schedule, District 6, p. 333, NARS microfilm M432-882, shows he was a 55-year-old Virginian.
[24] Frederick A. Ross entry, line 30, Hawkins Co., Tenn., 1850 U.S. Census: Slave Schedules, online database (www.ancestry.com), accessed 14 Aug. 2014.
[25] Rev. Fred. A. Ross, D.D., Slavery Ordained of God (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1857), p. 34.
[26] Taraborelli, Call Her Miss Ross, p. 33.
[27] Ibid., p. 454. Also, Ernestine Jordan, no. 375-12-6470, Social Security Death Index, online database, www.ancestry.com, accessed 10 September 2014.
[28] M. W. Moten household, 1920 U.S. census, Jefferson Co., Ala., population schedule, Bessemer, ED 144, SD 9, p. 53, dwelling 99, family 99, NARS microfilm T625-21.
[29] William Moten, 418-70-2966, Social Security Death Index, online database (www.ancestry.com), accessed 14 August 2014.
[30] William Moton [sic] household, 1900 U.S. census, Hale Co., Ala., population schedule, Gallion, ED 57, SD 3, p. 197, dwelling 285, family 286, NARS microfilm T623-18.
[31] William Moten household, 1910 U.S. census, Hale Co., Ala., population schedule, Prect. 8, ED 49, SD 6, p. 10, dwelling 199, family 202, NARS microfilm T624-15.
[32] William Moten household, 1940 U.S. census, Perry Co., Ala., population schedule, Uniontown, ED 53-5, SD 6, p. 113, dwelling 480, NARS microfilm T627-73.
[33] Isabella Moten entry (15 Aug. 1953), “Alabama, Deaths, 1908-1974,” Family Search, online database, (http://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JSKS-M8K), accessed 10 Sep. 2014, citing reference 16544, Department of Health, Montgomery, FHL microfilm 1,908,881.
[34] Hamp. Caldwell entry (2 Sep. 1934), “Alabama, Deaths, 1908-1974,” FamilySearch, online database (http://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JD59-Y8R), accessed 10 September 2014, citing reference 19871, Department of Health, Montgomery, FHL microfilm 1908523.
