Blog – Family Locket

RLP 374: Preparing for Onsite Research – Part 1

Nicole and Diana discuss the critical steps to ensure a productive genealogy research trip. They emphasize the importance of thorough preparation to avoid frustration and wasted time and money, highlighting that onsite research presents unique challenges compared to online research. Listeners learn that creating a clear research objective is the first crucial step, and Nicole shares contrasting examples from her own experiences: a successful, targeted trip to Love County, Oklahoma, for her Kinship Determination Project, […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer September 8, 2025 Podcast

Early Love County Records: Tracing the Transition from Indian Territory

After my first day uncovering over twenty Harris family records, I returned to the Love County Clerk’s office with curiosity about what other records might exist, particularly from the county’s earliest years. I didn’t have a specific research plan beyond exploring the oldest volumes to see what I might find. Day two would prove interesting in unexpected ways—sometimes courthouse research yields valuable discoveries not because you know exactly what you’re looking for, but because you […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer September 8, 2025 Certification, Research Tips

RLP 373: Heirloom Charts with Robert Stevens

In this episode Diana and Nicole host Robert Stevens, co-founder of Heirloom Charts. Robert, who began genealogy in 2010 to help his wife, Jodi, join the DAR, discusses their family-run business that creates customized lineage charts, emphasizing their custom-made, meticulously researched designs. They typically use approved record copies from hereditary societies like the DAR or Mayflower Society and sometimes hire professional researchers to ensure accuracy. Robert shares that charts start at $159 and highlights a […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer September 1, 2025 Podcast

Love County Tax Records: Research Adventures in an Old Jail

After my successful morning discovering over twenty Harris family deeds at the Love County Courthouse, I was eager to dive into tax records that might reveal more about my ancestors’ financial status during their time in Oklahoma. What I didn’t expect was to find myself kneeling on a concrete floor in a converted jail cell, using an upturned plastic bin as a makeshift desk while my phone battery slowly died. Sometimes the most valuable genealogical […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer August 28, 2025 Certification, Research Tips

RLP 372: Onsite Research: Beyond Digitized Records

Today, Diana and Nicole talk about the many valuable genealogical records still waiting in courthouses, archives, and historical societies that aren’t digitized. Nicole shares her personal journey into onsite research, with recent trips to the Love County, Oklahoma courthouse and Historical Society, and the Kentucky Historical Society and Department of Library and Archives. She also talks about visiting Brigham Young University Special Collections to see an ancestor’s diary, and other facilities like the FamilySearch Library. […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer August 25, 2025 Podcast

In the News: William Beddoes (1838-1920)

Researching our ancestors in the newspapers of their time gives us insight into their community, family, and work ethic. My second great-grandfather, William Beddoes, played a pivotal role in establishing Salem, Utah, in the late 1800s and early 1900s. His obituary provides a starting point for further research on his life accomplishments and also highlights the need for verifying details. William Beddoes Life Summary William was born on 17 June 1838 in East Wall, Shropshire, […]

By Diana Elder August 24, 2025 Creating and Sharing Family History, Research Tips

RLP 371: Comparing Marriage Records – Original License and Return vs. Marriage Book Entry

Diana and Nicole discuss comparing marriage records, specifically original licenses and returns versus marriage book entries. Diana shares her experience analyzing the marriage record of her 2nd great-grandfather, John C. Harris, to Rebecca D. (Alford) Harris in 1888. She explains how her father received the original marriage license and certificate from the Milam County, Texas, Courthouse in 1977. They examine the details of the original document, noting the different inks and handwriting from the county […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer August 18, 2025 Podcast

Visiting the Cassia County Historical Society & Museum: Discovering History and Context

What can you find in a local historical society and museum? I recently visited the Cassia County Historical Society & Museum located in Burley, Idaho, my hometown. I had visited the museum as a young girl and then later as a young mother, taking my children. This time, I visited with a genealogist’s perspective to see what could be gleaned for someone researching their ancestor’s history. I noticed that many of the exhibits were the […]

By Diana Elder August 17, 2025 Creating and Sharing Family History

RLP 370: Tracing the Enslaved in the 1900 U.S. Census and Enslaved.org Project

Before the episode’s main topic, Diana shares how she uses AI in transcribing deeds and court records and for creating source citations and abstracts for her research log. Nicole shares that she’s been using ChatGPT to summarize profile pages from FamilySearch’s Tree for her research log. Nicole and Diana discuss tracing enslaved individuals in U.S. records, specifically focusing on the 1900 U.S. Census and the Enslaved.org project. Nicole introduces the challenges of researching enslaved people, […]

By Nicole Elder Dyer August 11, 2025 Podcast

Treasure Hunt at the Love County Courthouse: Uncovering Land Records

There’s nothing quite like the thrill of walking into a courthouse and uncovering a treasure trove of your ancestors’ records that exist nowhere else online. My research trip to the Love County Courthouse in Marietta, Oklahoma, turned into exactly that kind of genealogical treasure hunt. What started as a search for one specific 1913 deed mentioned in a newspaper article led to the discovery of over twenty records documenting the land transactions, oil leases, and […]