Diana Elder

About Diana Elder

Diana Elder AGⓇ AGL is a professional genealogist, author, and speaker. She is accredited in the Gulf South region of the United States through the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen). Diana graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Elementary Education and has turned her passion for teaching to educating teens and adults in proven genealogy techniques. Diana is the author of Research Like a Pro: A Genealogists Guide and creator of the “Research Like a Pro” study group. She writes regular articles for FamilyLocket.com, the genealogy website created by her daughter, Nicole Dyer. She presents regularly at genealogy conferences, sharing the methods she uses every day to solve challenging genealogical problems.

Back to the Basics with Naturalization Records: Part 1

Apr 4, 2020

Do you have ancestors who immigrated to the United States since 1790? Have you discovered their village, town, or even country of origin? Family stories or census records might give clues but often give conflicting information. Is there another record type that could give additional hints to your ancestor’s homeland? Naturalization records might provide important details but what are these records, and how do you find them? This three-part series will address those questions and...

Revisiting a Research Project – Men of the Same Name

Mar 25, 2020

When researching complicated families with many men of the same name, how do you track them? Can you really sort out individuals and come up with a possible father for your difficult ancestor? You may think it impossible, but with good research practices and a way to visualize the information it can be done. I first wrote about the Norman family research project a year ago in Researching Low-Tech Style With a Whiteboard. I outlined...

Identifying Reasons for Emigration Using the Research Like a Pro Process

Mar 11, 2020

Do you have an ancestor who emigrated from another country yet left no story about the why and how? Leaving a home and traveling to a new place, learning a new language and culture – these are significant events in our family story that can strengthen us in our own challenges. How do you discover the story of an ancestor? The Research Like a Pro process will not only help you organize a research project...

RootsTech 2020 and The Story of You

Mar 5, 2020

Did you attend RootsTech 2020 or watch the live streams? If so then you know that the overarching theme of the conference was “The Story of You.” Besides the excitement of the keynotes, expo hall, and presentations – I was impressed with the small and simple things that make up our stories. Do we get so involved in finding the stories of our ancestors that we forget to record our own? Nicole and I started...

Family Locket Genealogists at Rootstech 2020

Feb 13, 2020

Are you going to be at Rootstech 2020 in Salt Lake City? If so, we’d love to visit with you in person. For the first time, Family Locket Genealogists will have a booth in the Expo Hall for the entire conference. We have some exciting things planned to help you in your genealogy and family history endeavors. Research Like a Pro Meet-up and Research Like a Pro Ribbons Collecting ribbons for your conference name tag...

Letters of a Woman Homesteader – Elinore Pruitt Stewart

Feb 8, 2020

Do you love a good story? Ever wondered what it was like for your ancestors as they homesteaded in the western United States? Reading the original letters of Elinore Pruitt Stewart, you get both – the stories from the viewpoint of a homesteader. The Atlantic Monthly first published Elinore’s letters in 1914, then Houghton Mifflin published them as the book titled Letters of a Woman Homesteader. The complete book has been digitized and is available on Internet...

Are You Ready for Rootstech 2020?

Jan 31, 2020

Rootstech 2020 is coming quickly and if you want to get the most out of the experience, you’ll want to prepare. With exciting keynote speakers, multiple class offerings, and an expo hall buzzing with activity, how do you choose to spend your time? Can’t travel to Salt Lake City, you’re also covered! Live streaming and virtual pass classes give you the opportunity to participate from anywhere in the world. Key Note Addresses The keynote addresses...

A Deep Dive into Colonial Virginia at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy 2020

Jan 20, 2020

How often do you get the opportunity to learn from a master genealogist? In the genealogy world we can gain our education in several ways. Most common are watching webinars and videos, reading books and articles, listening to podcasts and recordings of presentations, and attending conferences and institutes. If we’re lucky, we can learn from someone who is willing to share a lifetime of research experience. My week at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy...

The Research Like a Pro Study Group: Taking Your Research to the Next Level

Jan 8, 2020

Are you ready to move your research to the next level? Have you heard about the Research Like a Pro Study Group and wondered if it’s for you? Our winter/spring study group is starting February 5th and we’d love to have you join us! Here’s a little background information on the history of the group and results from past attendees. Starting the RLP Study Group When I finished my accreditation the summer of 2017, I...