Nicole Elder Dyer

About Nicole Elder Dyer

Nicole Dyer is a professional genealogist specializing in Southern United States research and genetic genealogy. She is the creator of FamilyLocket.com and the Research Like a Pro Genealogy Podcast. She co-authored Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide and Research Like a Pro with DNA and is an instructor for the study groups of the same name. She lectures at conferences and institutes and previously served as the secretary and publicity chair of the Pima County Genealogy Society. Nicole holds a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University in History Teaching. At Family Locket Genealogists, Nicole is a project manager, editor, and researcher.

RLP 272: Proving an Ancestor with DNA: Benjamin Cox

Sep 25, 2023

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about using DNA evidence to confirm a hypothesis created with indirect documentary evidence. We discuss Diana’s research on Benjamin Cox, his proposed children, and his migration. We touch on helpful onomastic evidence, DNA evidence, and FAN club connections. Diana shares how she made a McGuire chart to show shared DNA from four Benjamin Cox descendants who shared their DNA results with other descendants of Benjamin. Transcript Nicole...

RLP 271: Mariah Brockhouse: English Emigrant and Pioneer

Sep 18, 2023

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about our ancestor, Mariah (Brockhouse) Beddoes who left her parents in England with her husband and two young daughters to join with other Latter-day Saints in Utah Territory. Mariah was born in Willinghall, England, and her father was a locksmith. She married William Beddoes, a miner, and they eventually had a family of 13 children. The stories about Mariah’s departure from England are heart-breaking. She left her...

RLP 270: Anglicizing a Name and Discovering a Migration Path: John D. Isenhour

Sep 11, 2023

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is a case study about John D. Isenhour and surnames that can be challenging to research. The surname Eisenhower was challenging to research because of the various spellings and eventual anglicization of the name by our branch of the family. We discuss John D. Isenhour’s migration from Pennsylvania to North Carolina to Missouri, using tax and land records to learn more, and understanding the community he migrated with....

RLP 269: Gone Too Soon: Mary Margaret (Peterson) Creer

Sep 4, 2023

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about an ancestor who died too soon, Diana’s great-grandmother, Mary Margaret (Peterson) Creer. We discuss Mary’s Danish parents, their immigration, and settlement in Spanish Fork, Utah in the late 1800s. Mary married Charles Cannon Creer in Manti and had a wedding reception in a white brick house Charles built for his bride. Mary was the mother of eleven children, but had an accident that shortened her life....

RLP 268: John Royston’s Orphan

Aug 28, 2023

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about the Georgia land lottery, how it worked, and how it was used as part of a case showing that Thomas Beverly Royston was the son of John Royston. Join us as we talk about the historical context of the Georgia land lottery and the Royston case. Transcript Nicole Dyer (1s): This is Research Like a Pro episode 268 John Royston Orphan Welcome to research Like a...

RLP 267: Daniel Henrie and the Mormon Battalion

Aug 21, 2023

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about Daniel Henrie and his membership in the Mormon Battalion. The 52 ancestors prompt that brought about this post was about membership in a broader community – what churches, clubs, fraternal organizations, service groups, or military units did your ancestors belong to? Exploring membership in those groups helps us understand our ancestors’ lives better. Join us as we learn more about Daniel Henrie and the Mormon Battalion...

RLP 266: Shoot ’em up Dick

Aug 14, 2023

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about an outcast in our family tree. Diana shares how she responded to the 52 Ancestors prompt to write about an ancestor who was an outcast. She chose William “Dick” Shults, who fled town after a gunfight and settled in Arizona. He made it into the newspapers several times in the early 1900s due to run-ins with the law and other events. Join us as we discuss...

RLP 264: Alford/Johnson Project – Interview with Michelle Mickelson Part 3

Jul 31, 2023

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is the final in a series about the Alford/Johnson project. We talk with Michelle Mickelson, researcher on the project, who shares how Y-DNA and autosomal DNA were applied to test the case and see if the relationships found with documentary evidence and oral history were also biological. Join us as we discuss how Michelle incorporated DNA evidence into her report and what evidence was found. Transcript Nicole (0s):...

RLP 263: Alford/Johnson Project – Interview with Michelle Mickelson Part 2

Jul 24, 2023

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is the second in a series of discussions with Michelle Mickelson about the Alford/Johnson research project. The project was commissioned to determine if James William Johnson was actually Patrick Alford. The data from a deep dive into friends, family, associates, and neighbors revealed that the two men were almost certainly the same – based on records of the siblings. Join us as we review this project with Michelle....