Famous Genealogies

Biography

Heston was born John Charles Carter in No Man's Land, Illinois, an unincorporated area between Evanston and Wilmette, Illinois, the son of Lilla (née Charlton) and Russell Whitford Carter, a mill operator. In his autobiography, Heston refers only to his father participating in his family's construction business. Heston was of English and Scottish descent and a member of the Fraser clan.

When Heston was an infant his father's work moved the family to St. Helen, Michigan. It was a rural, heavily forested part of the state and Heston lived an isolated yet idyllic existence spending much time hunting and fishing in the backwoods of the area.

When Heston was 10 years old his parents divorced. Shortly thereafter his mother married Chester Heston. The new family moved to Wilmette, Illinois, a well-off northern suburb of Chicago. Heston (his new surname) attended New Trier High School.

Throughout Heston's life he was known by friends as "Chuck" although his wife always called him "Charlie." His stage name Charlton Heston is drawn from his mother's maiden surname (Charlton) and his stepfather's surname (Heston), and was used for his first film, Peer Gynt, released in 1941.

Source :  http://www.wikipedia.org/