Interview with Ruby Baeza, DNA and Genealogy Genealogist

1. How and when did you discover your passion for genealogy? As a young girl, I always asked my parents about their grandparents, but they had little to no information. In 2002, I started asking at the Civil Registry how to request certificates. When I received my first certificate, I realized it was my passion!

   
   

2. What has been the most difficult or fascinating case you've worked on? Without a doubt, discovering that my last name, Baeza, had a history in some books opened up an incredible world for me, and I began to unravel many legends that my paternal family once told me.

   
   

3. What common mistake do people make when researching their family tree? They limit themselves to the information we're told; generally, they're just stories that the family has treasured for generations.

   
   

4. What sources or archives tend to be the most useful in your work? There are so many! Civil Registry, parish records, Land Registry, National Archives, cemeteries, Official Gazette.

   
   

5. How do you help someone who has reached a dead end in their research? Start from scratch: the person's birth certificate, then their parents', and then their grandparents'. There's always something; it can be slow, but there's always a small light at the end of the tunnel.

   
   

6. Where were you born and where do you currently live? I was born in Arica, but I was raised in Santiago, where I currently live.

   
   

7. What are your hobbies or personal interests? I only have one hobby, which is genealogy. I love to read; I have a library that I love. I prefer physical books to virtual ones.

   
   

8. Did you research your own genealogy? What did you discover that surprised you? I'm still researching my genealogy; I don't think this will ever end. There are some ancestors I hold especially dear, like one of my ancestors who had six husbands, and, in the same vein, an Irishman who came to Argentina. But my female line comes first. I deeply love each of my ancestors!

   
   

9. Any funny or emotional anecdotes you've shared with a client? I have many, and they're very funny! DNA research has touched my heart on many occasions, especially when a client is adopted and doesn't know anything about their biological family. It's magical to tell them, "This is your family, your mother or father, your ancestors." I must give a special mention to the friends and family I have thanks to genealogy.

   
   

10. If you could research the family tree of any historical figure, who would it be and why? More than historical figures, I'd like to research groups of people, such as the Chinese slaves who arrived in northern Chile.

    
    

11. Do you think artificial intelligence will replace some genealogical work in the future? I wouldn't be surprised! For now, the emotional thread remains unique to researchers.

    
    

12. If you had a time machine, what time and place would you travel to to solve a genealogical mystery? I would travel to talk to my paternal great-grandfather, my "inspiring muse." I have so many questions that I'll never be able to answer without that interview.

    
    

13. Have you found any incredible coincidences (like famous distant relatives or unexpected connections)? Yes! My relationship with Inés Suárez and Inés de Bazán. My connection with Doña Catalina de los Ríos y Lisperguer, Doña Isabel Riquelme... I feel like the modern version of all of them!

    
    

14. What do you feel when you help someone complete their family history? It's wonderful!! You can't help but be moved by other people's stories. I must admit I've cried many times when I "awaken that unknown ancestor."