About Budget Genealogy

Our Story: A Legacy Uncovered

 

My journey into genealogy began in 2005, in my grandmother Lydia's Bronx apartment, shortly after she passed away. As my family and I sorted through her belongings, a profound realization dawned on me: there was so much I didn't know about her life, her family, and her story. I vividly remember sitting beside her, flipping through old photo albums, listening as she shared tales in her native tongue, Spanish. Sadly, not being fluent myself, I felt those precious stories were utterly lost to me.

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Or were they?

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Looking back, I believe she imparted a special blessing—a path she knew I would one day welcome and walk: one dedicated to preserving our family history. Her worn, black leather-bound Bible and another religious book were the unexpected starting points. Of all her cherished belongings, these drew me in most. Hidden inside the Bible was a funeral card bearing a name I'd never heard: William Horacio Vargas. I soon learned he was her father, my great-grandfather. This was the first crucial clue.

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Months later, having almost forgotten about the other book, I felt an inexplicable pull towards it. When I opened it, numbers were scribbled across the first page. "Why did she write these down?" I wondered. With both my grandparents gone and no known family history, I was astonished to discover these mysterious numbers were their Social Security IDs, which in turn led me to their applications. Those applications were goldmines, revealing their full names, birthdates, birthplaces, both parents' names, their parents' origins, and even more vital information. This was the second key clue.

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This was the true beginning of my genealogy quest.

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Building our family tree, one branch at a time, every new clue sparked fresh discoveries. I've uncovered connections with long-lost relatives and witnessed oral stories, once considered myth or legend, proven to be astonishing realities! My family history is rich and colorful, a tapestry woven with incredible narratives: an Indian princess, ancestors who met Columbus on the shore, young Spanish maidens, and a bishop knighted by the Queen of Spain. There are French settlers in New Orleans, Jews who survived the Spanish Inquisition in 1492, and the President of Venezuela whose family fled to Puerto Rico during the War of Independence in the early 1800s. It includes stories of African slaves and even highly suspected white slaves. There are tales of pirates, storytellers, and writers, witch doctors, wealthy prominent settlers falling in love with the despised and rejected lower class, family dramas, and political wars.

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And it doesn't end there.

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From Personal Journey to Professional Passion​

 

During my years immersed in my own family history research, I joined a local genealogy group. Soon after, I was asked to lead it, and that's where I met my dedicated genealogy partner, Tom Kanagie. Together, we co-founded Genealogy Detectives, a non-profit organization. It was through this non-profit that A Tree of Life was born, and it was with its creation that I took on my very first client. This year, Budget Genealogy celebrates its 6th anniversary since launching on social media—a launch that coincided with my business name change. Since then, I've had the privilege of completing over 40 genealogy cases and managing numerous DNA accounts for clients, connecting them to their genetic family.

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Now, 20+ years later, I am ready to take this journey to the next level, trusting God every step of the way. I invite you to partner with me as we help your ancestors resurface from dusty old pages, from web-covered chests, forgotten in musty basements and attics. They are waiting in silence to be found, for their stories to be told, and for their lines to flow once again in us, through us, and down into the ages yet to come.

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Welcome to Budget Genealogy.