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 239: RLP with DNA 2 – Assess Your DNA Matches and Analyze Your Pedigree

Feb 6, 2023

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about the first steps to take in understanding and using your DNA results. This episode is part 2 in our Research Like a Pro with DNA series. We discuss setting up a system to track your matches and the information you learn about them. Join us as we cover starting an Airtable research log, DNA testing company notes, clustering matches, and assessing amounts of shared DNA with...

RLP 238: RLP with DNA 1 – Take a DNA Test

Jan 30, 2023

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is the first in a 12-part Research Like a Pro with DNA series. We will discuss each chapter of our book, Research Like a Pro with DNA, in the series. Chapter 1 is about selecting the appropriate DNA test. We talk about different types of DNA, testing companies, SNPs, STRs, and a strategy for getting the most out of your DNA testing budget. Transcript Nicole (0s): Episode...

RLP 237: The Ancestor I’d Like to Meet: Ettie Belle Harris

Jan 23, 2023

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about our ancestor, Ettie Belle Harris, Diana’s paternal grandmother. Diana is doing the 52 ancestors in 52 weeks challenge hosted by Amy Johnson Crow. We discuss writing letters to relatives to learn about Ettie, an heirloom passed down from Ettie, and her life story. We also talk about a few tips for writing about ancestors. Transcript Nicole (2s): This is Research Like A Pro, episode 237...

Ribbons of Scarlet: A Novel of the French Revolution’s Women

Jan 16, 2023

We’re reading Ribbons of Scarlet: A Novel of the French Revolution’s Women for our winter selection for the Family Locket Book Club on Goodreads. Written by historical fiction authors Kate Quinn, Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie, Sophie Perinot, Heather Webb, and Eliza Knight, the book provides a fascinating insight into the French Revolution through the eyes of seven women who were part of it. Based on historical accounts, speeches, writings, letters, and diaries, with fictionalized dialog, Ribbons...

RLP 236: Strategies for Overcoming Endogamy

Jan 16, 2023

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about endogamy, its effect on DNA analysis, and strategies to overcome these challenges. We discuss a client case with French Canadian and Acadian lines as well as making a network graph and analyzing it. Join us as we discuss calculating average segment size, sorting by longest segment, segment mapping, and more. Transcript Nicole (1s): This is Research Like A Pro. episode 236 Strategies for Overcoming Endogamy Welcome...

New Tool for DNA Segment Pattern Analysis

Jan 11, 2023

Can segment patterns help you differentiate matches with paternal grandparent from a maternal grandparent? A tool at DNA Painter helps you do just that. The tool is called Library of Matches – https://dnapainter.com/tools/lom, developed by Cody Ely. In a blog post titled “Introducing the Library of Matches,” from May 2022, Cody shares how he came up with the tool. He was working on an unknown parentage case and was trying to determine if a 333...

RLP 235: Adding DNA Status to the Airtable Research Project Base

Jan 9, 2023

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about Diana’s Airtable template for tracking research on her own ancestors. She has added a DNA status field in order to show which level she has reached for incorporating DNA evidence into her ancestral research. We discuss the levels for documentary research, created by Yvette Hoitink, and the DNA levels that we came up with ourselves. RootsTech Giveaway To enter the giveaway, go the comments section of...

Strategies for Overcoming Endogamy

Jan 5, 2023

Have you ever suspected that endogamy was affecting your DNA analysis? You might notice a large number of matches from an island population or isolated area. The matches might seem to share a lot of DNA but no common ancestor can be determined. Clustering matches doesn’t seem to produce clusters related along different ancestral lines. Instead, you find one big mass of tightly connected matches. The total amount of shared DNA points to a second...

RLP 234: Identifying a Louisiana Marriage Bondsman

Jan 2, 2023

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about identifying a bondsman from a marriage bond in Orleans Parish, Louisiana, in 1860. The marriage record book included several parts, including a bond and license. The bondsman for Jacob Meyer and Sophia Schlessinger was Daniel Wilson. Who was he? Was he related to the bride or groom? Join us as we discuss. Transcript Nicole (0s): This is Research Like A Pro. episode 234 Louisiana Marriage Bond...

RLP 233: Marriage Bonds and Bondsmen

Dec 26, 2022

Today’s episode of Research Like a Pro is about marriage bonds in the United States. We discuss the history of marriage bonds, which states use marriage bonds, and go over several examples. We also discuss researching the bondsman to figure out how he was related to the bride and groom. Transcript Nicole (0s): This is Research Like A Pro. episode 233 Marriage Bonds Welcome to Research Like a Pro a genealogy podcast about taking your...