In this episode, Diana and Nicole discuss Phase 5, Part 3 of the search for Cynthia (Dillard) Royston’s biological father. They review the known facts about Cynthia’s life using census, tax, and estate records, as well as death certificates of her children. Diana presents her hypothesis focusing on three Dillard men who drew lots in the 1832 Gold Lottery in Cass County, Georgia: James Dillard, Joseph B. Dillard, and Roliver Dillard. She explains how they...
When a marriage record cannot be found, how do you connect two individuals in the early years of the 19th century? In researching and writing about Thomas Beverly Royston and his family connections, I discovered more about his half-sister, Elizabeth “Betsy” Cessna. I had seen the name John Dawson connected with the Royston and Cessna records, but it wasn’t until I wrote my case study on Thomas that I finally formed a solid conclusion about...
Diana and Nicole interview Sam Morrison, a dedicated family historian who has researched his family lines for over two decades. Sam shares his motivation for creating TreeAlive, a free digital tool designed to transform static genealogical data into animated films that visualize family migration and historical context across maps. His extensive experience researching his roots in Ohio, Virginia, and abroad drives his interest in helping others see their ancestors’ journeys rather than just reading lists...
If you want other researchers to access your research, adding it to the collaborative FamilySearch Family Tree is an excellent idea. Because it is collaborative, you risk someone changing information or even merging identities incorrectly. Inversely, someone may create a duplicate record for a person, resulting in two profiles for the same person. With these challenges, what benefits does FamilySearch provide? First, it is completely free, and you can easily email the URL of a...
This episode explores the ongoing genealogical project to identify the biological father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston, an ancestor who remains a mystery after years of research. Diana and Nicole focus on the fifth phase of this investigation, which involves utilizing DNA and documentary evidence to connect Cynthia to potential candidates among the Dillard men who drew lots in the 1832 Georgia Gold Lottery. Diana explains how she organizes this project using Airtable to track timelines...
Naturalization records are some of the most exciting finds for genealogists researching immigrant ancestors. They can tell us where our ancestor was born, when they arrived, and when they became a citizen of the United States. Recently, I found a record of William Henry Kelsey’s citizenship in a Utah County minute book on FamilySearch — and it got me thinking about the complex history of naturalization records in territorial Utah and whether more records might...
Diana and Nicole examine the ongoing research project to identify the biological father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston. Diana summarizes previous research phases conducted through the Research Like a Pro with DNA study group, which have systematically tested Dillard candidates and narrowed the search using documentary evidence. She explains the genealogical background of Cynthia, who was born about 1815 in Georgia, and details the elimination of various candidates from earlier research phases. The discussion also covers...
One of the best ways to share your research is by writing a case study for publication in a genealogy journal. If it is a peer-reviewed journal, you also benefit from knowing that your research is sound. I recently published my first article in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ) and will share my experience and tips for anyone else interested in publishing. What is a Case Study? Your first question may be, what exactly...
Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer explore the value of writing an ancestor’s military story by correlating multiple sources. Diana uses her father Bob Shults’s World War II Navy records as a case study. She demonstrates how to use AI to cross-reference personal oral histories with official documents like muster rolls and discharge papers. Listeners learn how to build a comprehensive timeline that bridges the gap between limited personal recollections and formal military service records. The...
If you have an ancestor who is still a mystery despite years of research, you’ll relate to my Cynthia (Dillard) Royston project. I am currently working on phase 5 as part of the Research Like a Pro with DNA study group. Each phase has focused on a specific objective and has eliminated many Dillard candidates. Eventually, I hope to have one man left standing, whom documentary and DNA evidence point to as Cynthia’s father. In...
