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.

Speaking Negatively: The Difference Between Negative Results and Negative Evidence

Dec 15, 2018

Have you heard the term “negative evidence” and wondered what that meant in your genealogy research? Is this the same as negative results when searching a database? This question comes up often with those working through the Research Like a Pro process, so let’s take a look at those two negatives and figure out what the difference is and how to effectively use them in our genealogy. Negative Searches It’s inevitable. We’re going to do...

Writing a Family History Book Using the Research Like a Pro Process

Dec 7, 2018

Have you thought about writing a family history story or book to share with your family? Maybe you have a famous ancestor who has grown larger than life with each subsequent generation and you’d like to find out the the real story. You might want to discover more about the bits and pieces of an ancestor’s life that have been passed down. If so, the Research Like a Pro process can give you an...

Getting to Know Our Mayflower Ancestors + Three Tips for Sharing Family History During the Holidays

Nov 29, 2018

With the holiday season in full swing, you may be planning a family get-together. Besides the eating and visiting, have you thought of creating a fun family history experience for all ages? Today I’m sharing a fabulous activity created by Lynnette, one of our FamilyLocket subscribers. Although Lynnette did this activity for Thanksgiving, the ideas could be adapted for any season or family gathering. Lynnette has three married daughters and twelve grandchildren age 2-17 and...

Back to Basics with U.S. Church Records – Part 2

Nov 15, 2018

Could a church record be the missing link in your genealogical research? Do you need a substitute for vital records or clues to your ancestor’s origins or migration? A church record might hold the answer. Part 1 of this series examined the value of church records, what kind of records were created, and what you can find in them. In part 2 of this series, we’ll learn how to determine what church your ancestor might...

Writing a Genealogical Crime Mystery – Nathan Dylan Goodwin

Nov 1, 2018

Do you need to escape into the pages of a good old-fashioned mystery with a genealogical twist? Then let me introduce you to author, Nathan Dylan Goodwin, and the fictional Morton Farrier, forensic genealogist. Hiding the Past: A Genealogical Crime Mystery I’d been hearing about Nathan’s books for some time, but missed meeting him at RootsTech 2018 when he made the journey across the pond to hob nob with fellow genealogists. I decided the first...

RootsTech 2019 Giveaway: Researching Like a Pro

Oct 26, 2018

Is 2019 the year that you want to boost your research skills? RootsTech 2019 offers multiple classes designed to do just that. I will be teaching classes to help you learn how to use a research log to organize your genealogy and how to use the FamilySearch catalog to discover new records to break brick walls. I hope to see you there! As a RootsTech ambassador, I receive a free pass for myself and one...

Research Like a Pro with DNA

Oct 21, 2018

How are you using the powerful new tool called DNA to further your genealogy research? Do you look at your matches and have no idea what to do next? What you might need is some order to your genetic genealogy research so you can make progress on your brick walls. Today I’ll show you how the Research Like a Pro process can be adapted to work with DNA. When DNA was just beginning to be...

3 Reasons to Have Personal Genealogy Software and How to Choose

Oct 13, 2018

Where are you storing your valuable genealogical data? Is it safely under your control and backed up or is it on a third party website like Ancestry or FamilySearch? Have you considered using genealogical software to store your database but are unsure what would be best for you? Today I’ll be sharing my top three reasons to keep your own genealogical information safe in a personal software database and give you some ideas for choosing...

Boost Your Genealogical Education with RootsTech 2019

Sep 29, 2018

Are you feeling in a rut with your genealogy research? Not sure what to do next or feeling overwhelmed with the idea of getting started in family history? Perhaps you need the boost that a major conference like RootsTech can give. When I was just beginning my journey into family history, I had no idea how to organize the suitcase full of papers from my dad’s years of research. I had grown up with pedigree...

Back to Basics with U.S. Church Records – Part 1

Sep 22, 2018

Have you used church records in your genealogy yet? If not, you might be interested to know how helpful a church record can be in researching your family. Because birth and death certificates were not required by most states in the U.S. until after 1900, church records can be a substitute for vital records. They can also help establish an ancestor’s status in the community, reveal associates, and point to previous or subsequent residences. In...