Ken Jennings

LOS ANGELES – JAN 08: Ken Jennings arrives for the ABC Winter TCA Party 2020 on January 08, 2020 in Pasadena, CA DFree

Birth Name: Kenneth Wayne Jennings III

Place of Birth: Edmonds, Washington, U.S.

Date of Birth: May 23, 1974

Ethnicity: English, with Scots/Irish/Northern Irish, Welsh, Scottish, Irish, distant Cornish

Ken Jennings is an American game show contestant, television host, and author. He is the highest-earning game show contestant in the U.S. He is known for his run on Jeopardy!, where he holds the record for the most consecutive games won, 74, and for winning the highest amount of prize money in regular-season play. He is also a host of the show.

Ken spent most of his childhood in South Korea and Singapore, countries where his father worked as a lawyer. He is a Mormon (LDS). He is married to Mindy Boam, with whom he has two children.

Ken’s paternal grandfather was Kenneth Wayne Jennings (the son of Gardner Othneil Jennings and Irene Flinn/Flynn). Ken’s grandfather Kenneth was born in Texas. Gardner was the son of Elias William Love Jennings and Margaret Catherine/Katherine King. Irene was the daughter of C. M. Flinn and Nancy Lou Bumpas/Bumpass.

Ken’s paternal grandmother was Georgia Lee Powers (the daughter of George Wesley Powers and Nita Viola Bates). Georgia was born in Oklahoma. George was the son of William Houston Powers and Sophronia Elizabeth Cagle. Nita was the daughter of Eugene Tullis “Gene” Bates and Effie Mable/Mabel Alexander.

Ken’s maternal grandfather was Byron Richard Coltrin (the son of Herman Edwin Coltrin and Myrl Esther Siddoway). Byron was born in California. Herman was the son of Heman Coltrin and Martha Jane Jones, who was Welsh. Myrl was the daughter of Robert Haddrick Siddoway, whose parents were English, with his father having been from County Durham; and of Frances Masters, who was also the daughter of English parents.

Ken’s maternal grandmother was Betty Elcock (the daughter of Eli Gibson Elcock and Muriel Joy Smith). Betty was born in Idaho. Eli was the son of Charles Elcock, who was born in Stafford, England, and of Julia Gibson. Muriel was the daughter of Lot Smith, Jr. and Sarah Louise Bingham.

Sources: Genealogy of Ken Jennings – https://www.geni.com

Genealogy of Ken’s father – http://www.halcyondays.com

Genealogy of Ken’s paternal grandfather, Kenneth Wayne Jennings (focusing on his own father’s side) – https://www.wikitree.com