Many people might wonder about the importance of a middle initial on legal document.

But for those who are trying to trace their lineage, a middle initial can differentiate between a grandfather and any other person having gone by a similar name.

To those in the Whidbey Island Genealogical Society, little items like this can help flesh out the picture in genealogical tracing or bring a family roots router to a screeching halt.

Recently a group of local genealogists took a trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. There, using the center’s extensive research facility, archives, resources and tools, they discovered pieces to their families’ histories.

“I ran into several days where I wasn’t finding much back there, so I decided I’d look up some of my children’s ancestors — my first wife’s ancestors,” said Jim Johnston, the society’s secretary.

“They came from the Huguenots that came over in the early 1700’s,” he said.

Johnston said he traced his children’s relatives through the early American settlements, through the Revolutionary War and until the family migrated to New Brunswick, Canada.

While he searched records from New Brunswick, however, Johnston found his family’s surname popping up among other names. He followed the trail and found information on a family member that had evaded him for quite some time.

“Sure enough, there was my great-great-great-grandfather who had landed in New Brunswick,” he said. “So I lucked out.”

Oak Harbor resident Marjorie Kott said she researched her husband’s family during her time in Utah.

She found out that his great, great-grandfather came from Batten, Germany.

Kott also found her husband’s mother in a will, and the fact that in 1930 she received $65 in the sale of the family farm.

Small breakthroughs and discoveries like these are what these genealogy searchers work for.

“They enjoy doing that,” Society President Betty Leitch said.

Leitch said she has discovered many interesting ways to trace family lines and uncover stories.

She said the best way is to go back to a family member’s place of birth and find an older resident to help uncover stories and give clues — either names, dates, events or other families to talk to.

Leitch said she and her husband did this in Ontario, Canada, in order to trace his great-grandfather.

They found an 80-year-old woman who spent a day with them and took them to the smaller cemeteries and churches, in search of his name. Fortunately, they found him at last and returned with a better understanding of where he had lived, what the town was like during his lifetime and made a friend in the meantime.

Linda Rees, a guest speaker for the society, said success is possible for sorting out genealogy, but it takes a great deal of work and dedication.

She calls obstacles in the ordering of family lines “brick walls.”

“Brick walls — it has been a challenge.” she said. “How to get over, around or under to find our ancestors.”

Rees said cases of neglected children, farmed out relatives, adoption, common-law marriage, bigamy, well-kept family secrets and lost records can all create brick walls.

Language and ethnic names, name changes, historic terminology, spelling changes and symbols can all cause confusion as well.

She said poor research can also obstruct genealogical finds. Poor research can range from taking family legend for fact, not checking family dates with historic dates, bad filing habits, procrastination and a lack of source checking.

“You need to verify and substantiate the information that you have,” she said. “Check the validity of what you find; use logic and analyze it.”

Rees said she has had to conquer many of these brick walls in searching files, paperwork and stories about her grandfather, who came west on one of the Orphan Trains that ran from the late 1800s to the early 1900s.

For people facing their own genealogical brick walls, Rees encourages them to start with what they know. From there, research all the vital records, census records, probate records, church records and court records of the names they have. From there, other family names and circumstances will appear and the search can continue.

She said other good sources of information are town histories, cemeteries, deeds, wills, immigration records, military records, newspapers, orphanages voting records and tax listings.

For those who are serious about finding their long-lost or hazy ancestors, Leitch said all are welcome to join the Whidbey Island Genealogical Society. Together, they share tips, Web sites, lectures, encouragement, filing techniques and success stories — especially success stories.