Crane Family Genealogy & History

Bob Crane, an American actor and radio personality, was renowned for his role as Colonel Robert Hogan in the CBS sitcom Hogan's Heroes, which aired from 1965 to 1971. Known for his drumming skills and engaging radio presence, Crane hosted a top-rated morning show in Los Angeles. His acting career included notable appearances on The Donna Reed Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show. Despite initial success, Crane's career waned post-Hogan's Heroes, with later endeavors such as The Bob Crane Show failing to gain traction. Tragically, Crane was murdered in 1978, a case that remains unsolved.

Bob Crane was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, to Rose Mary and Alfred Thomas Crane, originally spelled Crean. He was the younger of two sons and spent his formative years in Stamford, Connecticut, where he developed a passion for drumming. Crane married his high-school sweetheart, Anne Terzian, with whom he had three children, before marrying his Hogan's Heroes co-star Patricia Olson.

Stephen Crane, an influential American poet, novelist, and short story writer, was known for his innovative contributions to the Realist tradition and early American Naturalism. Born on November 1, 1871, Crane achieved international acclaim with his Civil War novel, "The Red Badge of Courage," and penned significant works such as "Maggie: A Girl of the Streets" and "The Open Boat." Despite a brief life, he left a lasting impact on 20th-century literature, inspiring writers like Ernest Hemingway. Crane's style is noted for its vivid intensity, use of dialects, and exploration of themes like fear and social isolation.

Stephen Crane was the fourteenth child of Methodist minister Jonathan Townley Crane and Mary Helen Peck Crane. The Crane family descended from Jaspar Crane, a founder of the New Haven Colony, and Stephen was named after both a putative founder of Elizabethtown, New Jersey, and his great-great-grandfather, a Revolutionary War patriot. Raised primarily by his sister Agnes, Crane's early life was marked by the influence of his religious parents and his mother's involvement in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.

Cheryl Crane, born July 25, 1943, is an American former model, real estate broker, and author, best known as the only child of actress Lana Turner. Her career highlights include modeling in Los Angeles, working in her father's restaurant, and later becoming a successful real estate broker in Hawaii and Palm Springs. Crane authored the memoir "Detour: A Hollywood Story," a New York Times Best Seller, where she publicly discussed the 1958 stabbing of her mother's lover, Johnny Stompanato, which was ruled justifiable homicide.

Cheryl Crane was born in Los Angeles to Hollywood actress Lana Turner and actor Steve Crane. Her parents divorced shortly after her birth, and she was raised in Bel Air, Los Angeles. Her early life was marked by media attention due to her family's celebrity status.

Ichabod Crane is the fictional protagonist of Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," depicted as a lanky schoolmaster with a strong belief in the supernatural. Known for his role as a singing-master and psalm singer, Crane is esteemed for his erudition in supernatural literature, particularly Cotton Mather's works. Despite his modest income, he sustains himself by boarding with local families, gaining renown for his tales of witchcraft and omens. His attempts to court Katrina Van Tassel lead to a mysterious encounter with the Headless Horseman, resulting in his disappearance.