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.

Am I Up to It? A Novice’s Questions About Joining a Research Study Group

Dec 13, 2017

Have you been thinking of joining our upcoming Research Like a Pro Study Group? You may have wondered if you had enough research experience or if it would be worth the money and time. Participants from the inaugural group came from varied backgrounds, but each had a positive experience, learning skills to help them move to the next level of research expertise. Today self-proclaimed research novice, Nancy Brown, tells her story. Am I Up to...

Planning a Family History Fair? 3 Tips for Success

Dec 4, 2017

Do the words “plan a Family History Fair'” fill you with dread and uncertainty? You may have a large event focused on genealogy and family history looming, or you may be asked to organize one in the future. In either scenario some ideas and tips from a very successful event I recently attended can save you time and energy. Tauni and Diana, Camano Island, Washington In a serendipitous turn of events, in October I found...

Ancestry DNA Matches: Three Tools You May Not be Using

Nov 22, 2017

Are you taking advantage of the tools Ancestry DNA has provided to discover and track your cousin matches? If not, read on and discover three tools on the website that are often overlooked and can greatly aid your DNA research. Tool #1: Add a note To illustrate I’m using my first cousin’s DNA match (with permission) to show you how effective and easy this can be. The screenshot below shows the information displayed on...

Family History is for Everyone Spotlight: Barbara Garrett, RootsTech 2018 Get Organized Giveaway Winner

Nov 7, 2017

And the winner is . . . One of the best parts of being a RootsTech 2018 Ambassador is the ability to give away a free pass. Several readers entered the Getting Organized giveaway and shared either a tip or question about organizing their genealogy. Today I’m pleased to announce that the winner is Barbara Garrett, genealogist, author, and blogger at Digging for My Roots. If you’re interested in winning a free pass, there’s still...

Back to the Basics with Probate Records – Part 1

Nov 2, 2017

Have you explored probate records in the search for your family? Or do they sound too difficult to tackle? With the digitization of microfilm on FamilySearch and indexes available on Ancestry, probate records are much easier to access than in the past. With an estimated 25% of the United States population leaving a will and an estimated 50% mentioned in a will, why wouldn’t you check out these valuable records? When should you turn to probate records?...

RootsTech 2018 Pass Giveaway: Get Organized

Oct 20, 2017

Are you determined to learn how to organize your multitude of genealogy related papers? Have you always wanted to attend RootsTech? 2018 is the year where you can do both. RootsTech 2018 features several classes on organization and I’m teaching two of them – one for the Getting Started track and one for the traditional RootsTech track. I’d love to see you there! RootsTech Registration As a RootsTech 2018 Ambassador I receive a free pass for...

How to Use a Surname Search to Sift Through DNA Results

Oct 4, 2017

What are you doing with your Ancestry DNA matches? Are they just sitting there waiting for some action? If you haven’t yet explored the surname search capabilities of the website you’re missing out on a valuable tool. Let’s take a look at how a simple surname search works and discover what it can do for you. Because a picture is worth a thousand words, I’m going to guide you through this process with screenshots of...

3 Ways to Connect to Family History at RootsTech 2018

Sep 26, 2017

Have you been thinking about attending RootsTech 2018? You’ve heard all the hoopla and wondered if its worth the time and money. Let me assure you that it is worth every penny. Why? It’s all about the connections. Connecting with your ancestors. Connecting with fellow genealogists. Connecting with the genealogy world. Let’s take a look at each of those and give you some solid reasons to attend the largest, most exciting genealogy and family history...

Research Like a Pro Part 6: Write it Up

Sep 21, 2017

What do you do when you come to the end of your research project? How do you record your results, proof, and ideas for what to do next? The final step of a research project for a professional is to write up a report detailing what records were searched, what was found, what the evidence proves, and what to search next. You don’t necessarily need to write a full scale report every time you finish...