Faces of NextGen: Meet Jana Greenhalgh

Jana Greenhalgh, 33, Utah

What five words would you use to describe yourself? Mother, genealogist, busy, busy, busy.

Why genealogy? My grandfather inspired me as a teenager. He introduced me to genealogical research, and that led me to a BA degree in Genealogy at Brigham Young University. Genealogy makes me happy, and I’m especially happy when I’m teaching it to others or involving my six kids in my research!

What’s the coolest discovery you’ve made? Not long ago, our family discovered a beautiful old photograph of one of our ancestors. We’ve studied and admired her for years but had no idea what she looked like. A distant cousin had the photo in their possession and had recently posted it online.

What are you working on this week? A movie script with my kids. We’re using censuses and other records to tell the story of their great-grandfather.

What’s the number one secret to your success in genealogy? Enthusiasm.

What superpower would you want to help you uncover your family history? I’d like to be able to research all night long while the baby sleeps (without feeling the effects of sleeplessness the next morning).

What are we most likely to find you doing when you’re not researching family history? Laundry, dishes, carpools, kid-homework, and maybe gardening or knitting.

Anything else you’d like to share? My kids would be ecstatic if you’d check out our movies at The Genealogy Kids YouTube Channel and our blog. More views means more motivation for these kiddos! They especially like “likes,” comments, and subscribers.

The NextGen Genealogy Network is made up of young genealogists with diverse backgrounds, interests, and experiences. Faces of NextGen will showcase a different member of our community each month. If you would like to be considered for an upcoming feature, simply complete our questionnaire and submit a selfie.