Amy Schneider Childhood Pictures and Family Life

Amy Schneider parents are James T Schneider and Betty Jo Schneider (Sacksteder) in Dayton, Ohio. She grew up alongside her brother John.

She spent the first 30 years of her life in Dayton. She grew up in the Five Oaks neighborhood and went to grade school at Corpus Christi, where she was voted "Most likely to appear on Jeopardy."

"So, not in Corpus Christi, Texas, as some have gues," the writer clarified via Twitter post.

Later, she attended Chaminade-Julienne High School and took marching band and drama club as her main extracurriculars. For college, she joined the University of Dayton to study computer science.

And since her father worked there, she could attend the tuition for free. She shared that her high school grades wouldn't get her a full ride at other universities of that quality.

She found her fame as a Jeopardy champion. She has also expressed admiration for past champions Julia Collins, Ken Jennings, and Matt Amodio. And don't forget rising Jeopardy star Mattea Roach.

Her father was a University of Dayton staff member

Amy Schneider father James T. Schneider was born in Cincinnati to Mary and Harold Schneider. A long-time Dayton resident, he was a chorus member of the Liederkranz-Turner club.

Growing up, he attended Archbishop Carroll High School and graduated in May 1965. In 1968, he joined Miami University and studied system analysis. He left the university in 1970.

In 1972, he joined Wright State University to study B.S. Computer Science/Software Engineering and graduated in 1975.

In March 2006, he was hired as a reference librarian (part-time) at Dayton Metro Library. The following year, he went to Kent State University, Kent, OH, to study Reference Services, graduating in 2009.

He also worked at One More Soul Pro-Life.

Sadly, Schneider passed away on May 11, 2016, at age 68. He was hit by a vehicle while riding a bicycle. He was undergoing cancer treatment and was a member of the Cancer Support Community.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Betty, two kids, Amy and John, and his siblings, Rick, Mark, Joe, Sue Winfree, and Julie Schmidt.

Her mother was a professor

Amy Schneider mom Betty Jo Schneider was a math professor who always encouraged the curiosity of learning. 

Betty went to Julienne High School and later attended the University of Dayton to study math. She also studied computer science in the class of 1965.

Her mom taught math, including at the college level. During a program, when host Ken Jennings asked who she would like to thank, she said, "I would like to thank my mom."

She shared that when her mom was helping her with the Spelling Bee, they wouldn't just go over the words but also talk about the etymology.

The Jeopardy champion has also opened up about her coming out to her mother. Talking to Insider, she admitted her mom was the toughest person for her to share the news with.

However, there was never a sense that Betty wasn't accepting of her on a basic level. "When I told my mom, the first thing she said was, 'That's a hard life,'" said the champ.

Amy Schneider and her brother, John Schneider grow up in a religious family. She also had a sister, Catherine Schneider, who passed away early.

John is a married man and an avid dog lover. His wife's name is Kristine Schneider.

Unlike his sister, he prefers to stay away from the limelight but is available on Facebook with a few photos of himself with his spouse and dog.

Schneider also respects her brother's decision and hardly talks about him in public. Born in a religious family, the siblings grew up with their devoutly Catholic parents in Dayton.

Catholicism was very important to the Schneider family and the Jeopardy champ struggled with her faith when she was young.

Talking to New York Times, she recalled when she had driven with her brother and two cousins to Toronto, Ontario, to see Pope John Paul II for World Youth Day.

She agreed the trip was to avoid telling her mom that she no longer considered herself Catholic.

The writer, her sibling, and cousins waited in a field that night before to fix their spots but had forgotten to bring tents or camping gear. And as they tried to sleep, it started to rain. 

The incident became a benchmark for Schneider and whenever it gets bad she thinks, "I'm not lying in a field in the rain."

The Jeopardy champ secretly married her girlfriend of less than two years, Genevieve Davis, 26, on May 9, 2022. They tied the knot after a three-month engagement.

Schneider revealed she married the love of her life in a small private ceremony at the Alameda County Recorder via Twitter. She added several pictures from their special day.

The pictures saw the delighted couple donning beautiful white dresses and flower crowns while exchanging vows.

She also stated that she and her bride would be holding a traditional wedding and reception next summer because their busy year delayed the planning. 

Amy also gushed over marrying her supportive partner and how much her life has changed for good since becoming a Jeopardy champion.

The couple first met in July 2020 through mutual friends. Her friend was hanging out at her apartment talking on the phone to her boyfriend. And somehow she invited his sister to give her a ride somewhere.

"That sister turned out to be Genevieve," Schneider tweeted on December 8, 2021. They formed a strong bonding over the course of the pandemic which eventually turned romantic.

Born Thomas E Schneider, she was previously married to Kelly Anneken. She divorced her in 2016 after 12 years together and subsequently came to terms with her identity.

She met Kelly after college while doing Taming of the Shrew. And since the pair ended up divorcing, they remained good friends. 

"We may be legally divorced but we are still observing our tradition of being the youngest people at every restaurant, movie, and play we attend," Kelly Anneken wrote on Instagram on December 31, 2018.