Jamie began documenting her own family tree in the early 1980s. Ancestors and other relatives had already completed an extensive tree for her family, with many lines going back eight or more generations in the United States, Denmark, Scotland, and England, including a Mayflower ancestor. Once the technology developed to the point of attaching records to individuals in the family tree, she was hooked. She started begging to research for neighbors and friends.
Education and Training
Jamie's educational background is in teaching, with a B.A. in Theater Education/French, and an M.A. in English. She put both degrees to good use, teaching drama and English at a local junior high for fourteen years, and teaching English as a Second to adult immigrants to the United States for ten years. She also taught English to graduate students for a year in Beijing right after the Tiananman Square difficulties, along with basic writing courses at Salt Lake Community College for five years.
Experience
Jamie served as a volunteer on the British Floor at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City for two years and learned the ins and outs of research in England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. About the same time, she began as a contractor for Legacy Tree, and was hired as a staff researcher in 2018. So many clients and their projects have a special place in her heart; she finds great joy in helping others connect with their ancestors. When not researching, Jamie loves practicing her language skills. She has an M.A. in linguistics, and speaks French, Cantonese, some Mandarin, and is learning Spanish. Her areas of expertise include Great Britain and Australia.
Blog Posts authored by Jamie:
Digging Through Name Changes: The Challenge of Dealing with Aliases in Genealogy Research
Preserving Living Genealogy: How to Conduct a Family History Interview
Tips for Navigating Civil Registration Records from England and Wales
5 Keys to Finding Scottish Ancestors with Genealogist Jamie Kay
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