July is dedicated to celebrating all things international and here is a chance to find out more about Canadian student member Kathie Ross:

Kathie has been working on her family genealogy since she was a young girl, getting interested when she found both grandfathers came from far away.  Her personal genealogy work covers Canada, the US, Norway, Sweden, England, Ireland and Scotland.  

As she has just completed the work on the Post Graduate Certificate in Genealogical, Palaeographic and Heraldic Studies at Strathclyde and is preparing for the diploma, she doesn’t get much time to work on her own family. 

However, she is currently working with DNA from an aunt and an uncle to attempt to locate the biological father of her great-grandmother, exploring some military records for her husband’s Irish ancestors and writing up what she has found on some Scotland relatives.  She also spends one day a week practicing her palaeography skills just for fun.

Kathie’s favourite archives are the ones where she lives.  Having the British Columbia Archives so close has definitely been a benefit.  Particularly when finding such awesome ephemera as voice recordings of her grandmother telling stories about ancestors.  Canadian resources vary by province – not only in what is available but also in the cost.  This can make Canadian genealogy work frustrating and it pays to have someone who understands the different systems.
Kathie recently set up a Find-a-Grave graveyard and grave for her 2x great uncle who died at 11 months in Ankihtlast, BC .  His is the only grave and only evidence that there was ever a settlement there.