Bemis Family Genealogy & History

Max Bemis is a renowned American musician best known as the lead singer and primary songwriter for the rock band Say Anything. He also gained recognition through his collaboration with Chris Conley in the supergroup Two Tongues and performs with his former wife Sherri DuPree under the name Perma. Bemis is a versatile artist, contributing to the music and comic book industries, notably writing for Marvel Comics. His career highlights include the release of influential albums such as "...Is a Real Boy" and "In Defense of the Genre," showcasing his skills in vocals, guitar, bass, and keyboard.

Bemis was born in New York City in 1984 and later moved to Hollywood, California. Raised in a strong Jewish environment, his maternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors, influencing his music, including the song "Alive with the Glory of Love." His early musical journey included piano lessons, which sparked his passion for music creation. He attended Windward School in Los Angeles and formed Say Anything with friends, including Coby Linder, a connection made during his time at Camp Ramah.

Samuel Flagg Bemis was a distinguished American historian and biographer, renowned for his expertise in American diplomatic history. Teaching at Yale University for many years, he also served as president of the American Historical Association. Bemis was a prolific author, winning two Pulitzer Prizes—first for "Pinckney's Treaty" and later for his biography of John Quincy Adams. His influential works, like the 18-volume "The American Secretaries of State and Their Diplomacy" and textbooks on diplomatic history, cemented his legacy as a "founding father" of the field. His analysis often reflected a nationalistic tone, but he remained a critical thinker, challenging prevailing State Department views.

Polly Bemis was a remarkable Chinese American pioneer known for her resilience and adaptability in the late 19th and early 20th century Idaho. She gained independence by taking in laundry from miners and managing a boarding house. Polly excelled in nursing and was an expert angler on the Salmon River. Her story inspired the biographical novel and the film "Thousand Pieces of Gold." Her marriage to Charlie Bemis in 1894 helped her secure legal residency in the U.S., and together they filed a mining claim, becoming early settlers along the Salmon River. Polly's life was marked by her courage, resourcefulness, and contributions to her community.

Polly Bemis was born on September 11, 1853, in rural northern China. During a severe drought, her father sold her to bandits, which eventually led to her being smuggled into the United States.

Samuel A. Bemis (1793–1881) was a pioneering American photographer, renowned for being among the first in the United States to embrace the daguerreotype process. Initially a Boston dentist, Bemis acquired a camera in April 1840 from François Fauvel-Gouraud and captured some of the earliest American photographs of natural landscapes, including views of Boston and the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Though not a master technician, his work remains historically significant. Bemis's camera and some images are displayed at the George Eastman House.