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.

5 Reasons To Buy a Local Family History Book – Even When Your Ancestor Isn’t Included

May 4, 2016

Have you hit the proverbial brick wall in your family history research? Are you at a loss for taking the next step? What you might need is to invest in a local family history book written about your ancestor’s town, county, or general area. I wrote about the importance of understanding localities in my post “Location, Location, Location: Putting Your Ancestors in their Place.” Today’s post is about learning even more about that place where...

“The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less” – May Book Club Selection

Apr 29, 2016

In honor of mothers everywhere, this month we’re reading Terry Ryan’s memoir: “The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less.” Growing up as the middle child in a family of ten, Terry watched her mother scrape together milk money by entering the jingle contests of the 1950s and 60s. Evelyn Ryan’s knack for rhyme enabled her to win one out of every four entries. Her husband’s drinking...

Family History and the Daffodil Principle

Apr 25, 2016

Every spring when the tulips and daffodils start blooming I’m reminded of a story I heard when I first began my family history journey. My dad had just given me the suitcase full of his thirty years of research and I felt overwhelmed with the task ahead of me. I attended a local family history fair hoping for practical help and inspiration. In one of the classes, the young presenter related a story written by...

Probate 101 or The Real Life Drama of the Thomas B. Royston Estate

Apr 20, 2016

Are you a bit intimidated by probate research? Have you located a will but neglected to find the “rest of the story?” With probate records being digitized by Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org, chances are you have some exciting discoveries to be made. Did you know that the Probate Estate packet of your ancestor can be a real page turner? Or should I say, “next image” turner. I made a huge find recently when I searched for my ancestor, Thomas...

Family History is for Everyone: Business Owner & Mother of Five and Her Daughter

Apr 18, 2016

Do you want to get started in Family History but you’re nervous about the time commitment or your abilities? Do you feel overwhelmed whenever you think about just getting started? Today I’d like to spotlight my friends and neighbors, the Rickenbach family. We belong to the same LDS ward and I’ve worked with their family for the last several months doing family history. Craig and Corinne took my beginning Family History Sunday School class in...

Grandpa’s Guns

Apr 15, 2016

How do you help a child who has lost a beloved parent or grandparent? In our own grief do we sometimes dismiss that of our children? This week I wrote about dealing with the loss of loved ones by creating forget-me-nots, memorials to help keep our loved ones present in our lives. I thought of my sister, Nancy, and her son, Ty. He was just twelve when his grandpa died and he really suffered from the...

Creating a Memorial to Your Loved One – A Review of “Passed and Present”

Apr 12, 2016

Losing a loved one is part of life. Living without that loved one is also a part of life, but how can you keep their memory alive in a meaningful and appropriate way? Allison Gilbert, author shows us how in her new book “Passed and Present.” (This is an affiliate link. If you click the link and make a purchase, we receive a small commission). We love the book so much, we want to give...

The Wonderful World of Webinars

Apr 6, 2016

Do you need to reignite your genealogy spark? No time or money for a genealogy conference? Maybe what you need is to try out a free webinar and see how easy it is to build your knowledge one hour at a time, from the comfort of your home. I had been hearing about webinars for years, but just hadn’t jumped on the bandwagon . . .until last month. I got an email about joining the...

Family History is for Everyone Spotlight: DNA Cousin Don Royston

Apr 4, 2016

Family history is all about people and meeting new cousins is often a highlight in our genealogy ramblings. Ten years ago, long before Ancestry’s DNA became hugely popular, I participated in a YDNA test group that not only proved my connection to Thomas Royston, who arrived in Virginia in 1635, but led me to a new cousin. Today I’d like to introduce you to Don Royston, my DNA proven cousin and fellow Royston researcher. I met Don...

“Dark Enough to see the Stars in a Jamestown Sky” – April Book Club Selection

Apr 1, 2016

Have you ever researched an ancestor so extensively that you felt like you knew them? Have you wished you could tell their story in a way that would do justice to their life experiences? Connie LaPallo did just that with our April book selection: “Dark Enough to see the Stars in a Jamestown Sky.” Her journey in writing the story of her ancestor, Joan Peirce, one of the few women who survived the Jamestown...

About Diana Elder

5 Reasons To Buy a Local Family History Book – Even When Your Ancestor Isn’t Included

“The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less” – May Book Club Selection

Family History and the Daffodil Principle

Probate 101 or The Real Life Drama of the Thomas B. Royston Estate

Family History is for Everyone: Business Owner & Mother of Five and Her Daughter

Grandpa’s Guns

Creating a Memorial to Your Loved One – A Review of “Passed and Present”

The Wonderful World of Webinars

Family History is for Everyone Spotlight: DNA Cousin Don Royston

“Dark Enough to see the Stars in a Jamestown Sky” – April Book Club Selection

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