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.

The Scraps of a Well-behaved Woman’s Life: Florence Creer Kelsey Part I

Mar 16, 2016

“Well-behaved women seldom make history” was penned by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich in 1976. Do you have a well-behaved woman in your family’s history? A woman who lived through the astounding changes of the 20th century and quietly worked to make a difference? To celebrate Women’s History...

Location, Location, Location: Putting Your Ancestors in Their Place

Mar 9, 2016

Do you have a difficult ancestor? One that just won’t stay put in one place? Are records difficult to find in the location you finally have him pinpointed? Have you been more interested in finding names and dates than discovering the what, where, and why of your family? If you...

“Nobody Don’t Love Nobody” – March Book Club Selection

Mar 4, 2016

Do you love to read books about real people overcoming real challenges? Are you interested in writing your own family’s story of trials and triumph? Nicole and I share a love of reading good books and a love of writing family stories, so put those together and you have the...

The Suitcase: Getting Started One Paper at a Time

Feb 29, 2016

Are you the lucky recipient of your family’s genealogy? Do you have a box, a barrel, or, in my instance, a suitcase full of letters, documents, photos, family group sheets, etc? You are probably feeling overwhelmed with either joy or despair. Go ahead and be ecstatic that you inherited...

Honor your Heritage with Heirlooms

Feb 24, 2016

Do you have a family heirloom sitting around gathering dust? Curious about the ancestor who owned it? Are you trying to find some ways to interest your teen in family history? Introduce them to this month’s Instagram challenge at makefamilyhistory.org and watch the magic begin. Teens love social media....

Source Citations: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Feb 19, 2016

Updated 18 January 2024 Have you ever read a family history with an interesting fact, like “Great Grandma was a full-blooded Cherokee”? You’re excited to read more and see some proof, but there is nothing: no source citations or documentation of any kind. You’re left in the dark, wondering how...

Wrapping up RootsTech 2016

Feb 10, 2016

The excitement and hoopla of RootsTech 2016 ended last Saturday and I came home with a bag, two new books to peruse, class notes, and lots of pieces of paper. So what’s next?How do I organize everything I collected so I can find it when I need it? How am...

Ten Cool Things You Might Not Know About the U.S. Federal Census

Jan 31, 2016

Did you know that the individual giving the family’s information in the 1940 census is marked with an X? Or how about the estimated 1.2 million Southerners missing in the 1870 census? These are just two of the fascinating and helpful discoveries I made last week as I studied more...

Quilting Your Family’s History

Jan 25, 2016

Do you have a quilt in your closet with no clue who made it or why? Or maybe you have a stack of clothes from a loved one that you’d like to make into a quilt? Either way, a quilt can be a lasting way of preserving memories. I...

Goal for 2016 – Becoming an Accredited Genealogist

Jan 11, 2016

This year I’m starting the journey that I hope will end with my becoming an Accredited Genealogist. What exactly does that mean? What steps do I need to take? Keep reading and I’ll fill you in! I had never considered becoming a professional genealogist until Nicole broached the subject several...