If this reporter learned one thing in researching the story it was that I could really use a few tips and some guidance in finding my ancestors.

Quesnel Genealogy Society, which is a chapter of B.C. Genealogy Society, has the resources and experience to provide that assistance.

QGS members say it’s like detective work, mixed with a true passion for the past.

“Genealogy is second only to gardening in hobby popularity,” Terri Schmitke said.

“For some it’s a passion, for others it’s an obsession.”

However, researching a family tree is often a solitary occupation and being part of the society allows members to share their magnificent finds and newly discovered web sites and genealogical publications.

“There’s a constant flow of information from around the world,” Tammy Guldbransen said.

Everyone hits a brick wall at one time or another, she added, and it helps to share with other members and find ways to move the search forward.

Society president Kathie Edwards is a particularly good resource Schmitke said.

“She has so much experience working on her family tree and is very helpful to all of us in our searches,” she said.

Guldbransen added as a president, Edwards is an inspiration to budding genealogists and veteran family detectives alike.

“Her resources are amazing,” she said.

Dorothy Paul has only been working on her family tree for a year but says she already confirmed more than 600 people proven to be relatives.

But she cautions with the way names are changed through the generations it’s important to be vigilant and verify each name before you actually add it to your tree.

“When surnames (last names) first came into use, people didn’t write, everything was verbal and sometimes even accents could change the spelling of a name,” she said.

But they all agreed one of the many rewards of genealogy is connecting with the people you meet whether you’re searching in person or online.

“I’ve reconnected with cousins who we hadn’t heard from in years,” Paul said.

“I’m also finding relatives I didn’t know even existed.”

Penny Haering admits to researching her family’s history for the past 15 years.

She said it’s sometimes about sitting at the computer at 2 a.m. or spending a vacation tramping through graveyards looking for dead relatives, not the living.

“Genealogy is a beautiful obsession and very rewarding,” she said.

“When you finally find that missing piece, that person you’ve been search for, its an amazing feeling.”

QGS has also been working on ongoing projects to assist other searchers including photographing all the headstones in the Quesnel Municipal Cemetery.

Members also archive all the birth, death and marriage records including newspaper clippings.

They issue a newsletter which is circulated to all the members and shared with other genealogical associations.

QGS meets the second Tuesday of the month from September to June, 7 p.m. at the Church of the Latter Day Saints, 1490 Beryl Road, behind Lakeview elementary school.

Membership is $20 a year or $25 for a couple.

The society maintains a small library of materials and can order materials, including microfilms, through the membership.

QGS could be the first step towards finding your ancestry.

For information contact Kathie, 250-992-7211 or e-mail rose23@telus.net.