Family Locket

RLP 357: AI and FamilySearch Full-Text Search

Diana and Nicole discuss using FamilySearch’s Full-Text Search to make genealogical discoveries. Diana explains how the tool helped her find new information about her ancestor, Thomas Beverly Royston, after previous searches came up empty. She details how to find and use the Full-Text Search feature on the FamilySearch website and shares tips for refining searches to get the best results. Diana describes using keywords and date ranges to narrow down the matches and emphasizes how […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer May 12, 2025 Podcast

The Nurturing Legacy of My Second Great-Grandmother: Alice Frazier Harris

My second great-grandmother, Alice “Allie” (Frazier) Harris, was a special lady. I thought about her today, on Mother’s Day, as she was not only a mother and grandmother to her children and grandchildren but also to many others. She cared for her son-in-law’s baby sister after her mother died in childbirth and was recognized for her nurturing nature towards many in her community. Alice is my second-great-grandmother on my mother’s side. She is the grandmother […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer May 12, 2025 Creating and Sharing Family History

RLP 356: Clarinda and Jerusha – Puritan Roots to Pioneer Legacy

This podcast episode focuses on the genealogy of two women, Clarinda Knapp Allen and Jerusha Barden Smith, and their connection to early settlers and significant figures in American history and the Latter-day Saint movement. Nicole discusses her husband’s ancestry, specifically how his relatives married into the Hyrum Smith family. She then shifts focus to one of her own ancestors, Clarinda Knapp, whose relationship to Hyrum Smith’s wife, Jerusha Barden, becomes the central point of discussion. […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer May 5, 2025 Podcast

Boston Union Workhouse and Sarah Jane (Miller) Creer (1841-1902): Using AI to Add Historical Context

When we discover that our ancestor was in an institution such as an asylum, prison, or workhouse, we can learn much about their experience by researching the institution. My 2nd great-grandmother, Sarah Jane (Miller) Creer, resided in the Boston Union Workhouse in Lincolnshire, England at the age of 10. Wanting to learn more about this specific workhouse, I queried AI and was pleased with the accurate and informative report created by Claude 3.7 Sonnet. AI […]

By Diana Elder May 4, 2025 Artificial Intelligence, Creating and Sharing Family History

RLP 355: Anna Nash and the Cowderys: Uncovering Family Connections

This episode focuses on Anna Nash and the Cowdery family connections. Nicole and Diana discuss the genealogical links between Nicole’s husband’s family and Oliver Cowdery, a prominent figure in early LDS church history. They start with Oliver Cowdery’s background, including his work with Joseph Smith and his later life. The episode then shifts to Oliver’s half-sister, Phebe Lawrence Cowdery, and her marriage to Daniel Smith Jackson, who has a connection to Nicole’s husband’s ancestor, Anna […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer April 28, 2025 Podcast

Piecing Together a Family Story: Thomas B. Royston’s Land and Headstone in Chambers County, Alabama

On my recent trip to Alabama, I had the opportunity to visit Chambers County, where my third great-grandparents, Thomas and Cynthia Royston, settled in the mid-1800s. I visited the cemetery where Thomas was buried and viewed the land he owned. I previously wrote about researching him at the Alabama Department of History and Archives and the Chambers County Courthouse, and in this blog post, I’ll use that research as well as my previous findings to tell […]

By Diana Elder April 27, 2025 Research Tips

Integrating AI into Genealogical Research and Writing: TIGR 2025 Course 4

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be coordinating Course 4 at the Texas Institute of Genealogical Research (TIGR) 2025, titled “Integrating AI into Genealogical Research and Writing.” This course will explore how genealogists can effectively harness artificial intelligence tools while maintaining high standards of quality in their research and writing. Each day will have a theme, like research or transcription. There will be daily homework options as well as a dedicated hands-on session for the […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer April 23, 2025 Artificial Intelligence, Research Tips

RLP 354: Ancestor Journals: Phinehas Richards in Church Archives

Nicole and Diana discuss the life of Phinehas Richards, Nicole’s husband’s 4th-great-grandfather. Nicole shares details about Phinehas’s life, including his birth in Massachusetts, his marriage to Wealthy Dewey, and his work as a cabinet maker. She recounts Phinehas’s conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, his baptism by Brigham Young, and his ordination as a high priest. Diana talks about Phinehas receiving a patriarchal blessing from Joseph Smith Senior in Kirtland, Ohio. […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer April 21, 2025 Podcast

A Day at the Chamber County Courthouse: Tips for Success

What can you find at the county courthouse? Records kept on the county level, such as deeds, mortgages, marriages, wills, guardianships, etc., are vital for our research. Although many of these items may be available online, some likely exist only at the courthouse. A trip to the courthouse may be in order if we want to perform reasonably exhaustive research. I recently visited Chambers County, Alabama, the residence of my ancestor, Thomas Beverly Royston, from […]

By Diana Elder April 19, 2025 Records, Research Tips

RLP 353: Citing Digitized Records on FamilySearch

Nicole and Diana discuss citing digitized records from FamilySearch. Nicole explains that FamilySearch has billions of digitized records that can be attached, downloaded, or added to a research log. They emphasize the importance of precise source citations. Diana illustrates the challenge of citing digitized microfilm records, using an example from Russell County, Alabama’s Orphan’s Court Docket. She explains that the same record can be accessed through “Images” or the FamilySearch Catalog, resulting in different image […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer April 14, 2025 Podcast

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