Born to immigrant parents with roots in Galicia and Bessarabia, she grew up hearing fragments of old stories that sparked her curiosity about the people behind them. After retiring from a career in archival management, Marta now spends her days deciphering Cyrillic and Gothic script, mapping ancestral villages, and helping others trace their Central and Eastern European heritage. She is known for her patient research style, love of old parish books, and knack for uncovering unexpected family connections across borders that no longer exist.