Lucy Cressey started exploring genealogy courtesy of her late father, Tom Ronan. "My dad got me hooked on it," she explained. "He was interested in his side of the family and before his mother died, she said he should look into his roots."

The suggestion had an interesting outcome. Her mother's family was well-known for its generations in New England, but all that was known about her father's side was that they were from Ireland and had lived in South Boston. The difference in background between the two families was pronounced, Ronan thought.

Cressey's exposure to genealogy developed as her father shared his discoveries. Ronan found his family tree included the Jenckes, an original founding family of Rhode Island (Joseph Jenckes served as deputy governor and governor of the colony) and the family settled Pawtucket and operated a foundry; a Jenckes ancestor cut the dies for the Pine Tree shilling, the first coin minted in America.

The information uncovered started Ronan and his daughter Lucy on a quest for more. At the time, information wasn't digitized and Cressey relied on friends in the UK to help with onsite research. "I became possessed," she said.

She joined Ancestry.com in 2002 and worked on the family tree late at night. Cressey said her husband Butch would find her asleep at the computer in the morning after long hours of research. "It's addictive," she warned.

About five years ago, Margaret Perritt asked her about starting a genealogy group at the Community Center. The idea took shape and Cressey began offering help on Saturday mornings to others seeking their ancestors. "Everyone got started on their own and I would help them," she said. She is available one Saturday each month from 10 a.m. to noon. Anyone interested in stopping by should check with the Center since the Saturdays change each month based on Cressey's schedule.

She has helped at least two dozen people off and on. Cressey explains how to use the Ancestry.com website and welcomes questions. "The information is there, you just have to know how to find it."

She encourages anyone curious about genealogy to watch programs like "Who Do You Think You Are?" and "Finding Your Roots" and applauds the advance of technology in making searches easier because information is digitized.

Cressey is generous with her knowledge and explains how to check various sources for records. She also has reference books like, "The Genealogist's U.S. History Pocket Reference," giving a timeline for significant events. For example, she said, "You know when the potato famine happened because you can see a surge in immigration to the U.S. and Australia."

Cressey will continue her father's tradition sharing genealogy exploration with the next generation of Jenckes when she teaches it to her grandson Malachi Donaldson's Boy Scout troop in Damariscotta at the end of the month.

"It's like a quilt and you have all these pieces of fabric. You don't know how beautiful the end product will be until you put it together," she said.