Long before the name Kim Kardashian dominated the airwaves and was known by millions across the Western World, before her half-sister Kylie built a billion dollar empire from a brand developed around herself, and finally before Robert Kardashian defended O.J. Simpson in the infamous murder trial of his wife in the 1990’s, a baby girl named Bertha Mary Yarn was born on September 26th, 1881 in the small fishing community of Mose Ambrose
on the South Coast of Newfoundland. Born to a fisherman father named George Yarn, and homemaker mother Charlotte (nee Day), Bertha grew up with a traditional Newfoundland upbringing which focused on hard work and family. Her community of birth, Mose Ambrose in Fortune Bay, was isolated but the community operated as family unit. She presumably grew up around family singing tunes of the old country and assisted her parents with the everyday chores as a fishing family as she was raised along the shoreline.
By 1901 Bertha had come down with an illness and had migrated to a hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she went on to marry her first husband a Bennett, and had 2 children before he tragically passed away at a young age in 1909. Left with two small children to fend for on her own, she eventually married Hugh Burton Jenner, a native of New Brunswick, and moved there where she had 5 more children. Included was her youngest, Caitlyn Jenner’s father William in 1923. As Bertha and Hugh grew older, they eventually migrated to the United States.
Their son William became an arborist, which is referred to as a tree doctor of sorts, and he married Esther McGraw. Together they had William Bruce Jenner (now known as Caitlyn) on October 28 1949 in New York and several other children. Bruce went on to become a football player and eventually became an Olympian competing and winning gold in the Olympic decathlon in 1976. Jenner gained notoriety as an All-American Hero for his actions during this time at the peak of the Cold War, which his grandmother Bertha was able to witness prior to her passing. She passed away in 1980 in Michigan, a full 99 years since she was born far away in rural Newfoundland. As the years past, Jenner went through two marriages which produced 4 children. After the divorce of his 2nd wife, he eventually married Kris Kardashian (nee Houghton) which produced 2 more children Kendall & Kylie, a union in which he gained four step children Kim, Khloe, Rob & Kourtney Kardashian. As the turn of the 21st century began, Jenner’s father passed away in 2000, and his step children began to become Hollywood socialites. When the family began their network tv reality show in 2007, the program catapulted the entire family including Jenner into the spotlight as some of the biggest celebrities in the world, with his daughter Kendall one of the most popular models in the world and daughter Kylie a makeup mogul with a business approaching a net worth of one billion dollars. His many Kardashian stepchildren being the famous influencers which have changed popular culture for years to come.
The Jenner’s Newfoundland Family Tree
As stated previously, Jenner’s grandmother Bertha Mary was born to George Yarn & Charlotte Day, both of large families in Fortune Bay, making Jenner a quarter Newfoundlander. George was born in 1849 in Coombs Cove near Mose Ambrose to James & Jane Yarn. Charlotte was born on Dec 10 1854 in Burin to Nathaniel Day & Mary Mayo. Nathaniel was born Sept 5 1810 in Sturminister Newton, Dorset, England and immigrated to Burin prior to marrying his wife Mary with his parents William Day & Sarah Rose. Mary was born in 1822 to John Mayo who immigrated to Newfoundland in the late 18th century and his wife Mary Foote of Pardy’s Island, Burin. The Foote’s have been a well-established family in the area for some time.
From humble roots to the Olympics and then a massive media empire, the Jenner family legacy has come a long way since the hard fishing days of their ancestors. If your ancestors were from this area of the island it would be interesting to investigate if you have any ancestors with the surname Yarn, Day, Mayo, or Foote.
Ms. Jenner also wrote about her connection to Newfoundland and Labrador in her autobiography “The Secrets of my Life”. In Chapter 1, she notes that her father William (Bill) Jenner was born in St. John’s, NL and moved with his family when he was young to Massachusetts.
According to census records, Bill Jenner was born in St. John, New Brunswick not Newfoundland. A simple mistake as her grandmother Bertha was from Newfoundland.
Bill was born in St John, New Brunswick I was almost certain not Newfoundland. I hate when ppl mess that up 🙄🙄
We have Yarns in our family tree. James Yarn in this tree was a brother of John Yarn who married a Jane and had Elizabeth Yarn. She married Philip Fiander and became my great grandmother.
Not surprised ! Newfoundland has many talented and beautiful people inside and out !!
Make your grandma proud .. NL blood girl !!
Nathaniel Day was also my great great grandfather. My great grandfather Nathaniel Day was Charlotte Day’s sister. My grandmother Isabelle Day Willwerth was a first cousin of Bertha Yarn, Caitlyn Jenner’s grandmother. Interesting that we all have roots in that little fishing village.
My maternal grandfather’s (Samuel James Fiander b: 1909 English Hr. West, Fortune Bay, d: 1987 Ramea, Nfld.) mother was Sarah Jane Yarn (1883 – 1948), whose father Philip Yarn (1843 – 1930) was the brother of James Yarn, Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner’s great, great grandfather.