A DETERMINED pensioner has reunited long lost families in Cumnock after becoming ‘obsessed’ with family trees.

Kay McMeekin, 68, has helped several people find their local roots after being fixat ed on resear ching ancestors.

Her fascination began a decade ago when she started to inve stigat e her own background K ay had always been desperate for a bigger family after feeling lonely as an only child.

But after uncovering her ancestors Kay was stunned to learn of all her many relatives and how they travelled around the UK.

She investigated her own heritage for so long she decided to start looking into others in a bid to help them discover their own past.

Kay said: “At first I just thought it would be a bit interesting but I quickly found it to be really amazing.

“Then when Cumnock History group got set up on Facebook in 2013 I got even more involved and now we have grown a big online family.

“When I started to search for my family I saw they had passed through Cumnock and even lived next door to my husbands family. But we did a DNA test and we are not related.

“I do occasionally get enquires of people looking to find people, like adopted people looking for their roots.

“Someone who was in care growing up and wanted me to help them find some living relatives of theirs.

“I really like to help people and connect them with their long lost families.

“It can get a bit competitive trying to find a person as everyone in the group enjoys doing it so it is exciting to see who can get the person first.

“It is so satisfying finding someone or information you have been hunting for I get a real kick out of it.

“I don’t charge people to help them find their family, although I do get offers.

“I don’t want it to become a job or work because I really like doing it for fun and it being a hobby.

Cumnock Chronicle:

“I ask them to cover costs or certificates and expenses. You need to pay to find out extra information but other than that I’m more than happy to just spend my free time looking into it.

“I love growing my family tree so if I can give that to someone else then that’s great.”

Kay also enjoys how mentally stimulating her hobby has become as it requires a lot of problem solving.

She has now stumbled across a lot of history and places she never would have if it wasn’t for her family tree obsession.

The devoted pensioner was even left stunned to uncover so much about her own family line.

Kay added: “I recently discovered one of my great grandfathers had been in Nelsons Navy from national records.

“I also thought I had been the first person in my family to go to University but then found out someone in the 17 hundreds was actually a Minister at Aberdeen university.

“After some digging I was even able to go hold his degree in my own hands which was a big thrill.

“As a child I was always a bit lonely. I really wanted a brother or sister to play with.

“I always wanted a big family and now thanks to looking up my family tree I feel like I have a massive one.”