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When local residents want to research their family history, a group of volunteers is ready to assist them. The Marion Area Genealogy Society (MAGS) helps people find marriage licenses, birth records, death certificates and other documents to shed light on family trees.

MAGS is fantastic resource for people looking into their ancestry. MAGS President Susan Hoffman Matthews and other members love to help residents find key information.

“We’ve literally helped thousands of people research their families,” Matthews said. “MAGS is a great starting ground for any local family history search.”

Matthews was born in Marion. Her journey with genealogy started with a 4-H project when she was 12 years old. She has been intrigued ever since. Matthews grew up hearing the stories about various ancestors, and because of that she became more interested in people, history, and the stories of those who have already passed.

The Hoffman family moved just across the county line. She graduated from Wynford High School in 1985 and The Ohio State University in 1989 with a degree in psychology.