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.

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...

“A Girl Named Zippy” Review: Writing Childhood Memories

Sep 16, 2017

How do you go about writing your own life story? Do you stick with the dry facts or do you delve deeper into your memories? Reading how someone else has shared their stories can give you ideas on what you could write. A Girl Named Zippy, Growing Up Small in Mooreland, Indiana by Haven Kimmel is the quirky reminiscing of a small girl in a small Midwestern town. Haven Kimmel writes of her family relationships through...

Research Like a Pro, Part 5: Where Did You Look and What Did You Find?

Aug 30, 2017

September 2024: The Research Ties program mentioned in this blog post is no longer available. How do you keep track of the numerous websites, books, microfilms, and other sources you might consult in your genealogy research? Do you only print or save links to the sources you found? What do you do when you don’t find anything in a database? Learning to keep a research log and use source citations is the next step...

Becoming an Accredited Genealogy Professional – Diana Elder, AGⓇ

Aug 10, 2017

Have you been following my journey of accreditation for the past two years? If so, I’m pleased to announce that as of July 15th 2017, I am now an Accredited Genealogy Professional. Today I’ll fill you in on my path to accreditation including the bumps and pitfalls along the way. July 2015 I attended the BYU Conference on Family History and Genealogy. Included in the conference was a track of classes by The International Commission...