Sep. 15—Genealogy is a hobby that has come naturally to Dr. Caroline Merrigan. Her relatives before her spent summers driving across the country to states like Kentucky, Virginia and Pennsylvania to learn about their family’s history. So, as soon as Merrigan’s kids grew up and she had enough time to take on the pastime, she began teaching herself, as well.

“My favorite books when I was a child were the Nancy Drew mysteries,” Merrigan said. “And so, I think it gets me into being Nancy Drew and just digging out the clues to help people have this trail or thread of their family history. It’s unique for everyone, and you just don’t know what you’ll find.”

Merrigan, a veterinarian, is currently the historian for the Runcie Club and the membership chair and chapter librarian of the St. Joseph chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She volunteers her time doing genealogy for potential applicants of the DAR, to see if their lineage can be traced back to an American patriot.

“I’ll get on the computer, and it can take a few minutes or sometimes hours and days, but when I find the patriot that she has, that’s just the biggest thrill,” Merrigan said.

She can sometimes be spotted analyzing documents at the Northwest Missouri Genealogical Society in Downtown St. Joseph. The society helps researchers find historical documents dating back to the beginning of Buchanan and surrounding counties.

Board member Mandi Brown said it’s been interesting to see genealogy change over the…