In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss how to analyze a census record, and the example of George W. Dillard in the 1850 Census. We go through the steps of making an abstract of all the census information, asking questions about the information on the census, making a hypothesis, then making a list […]

In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss U.S. Federal Census Records from 1790-1940. We talk about what you might find in a census record, where you can access them, the instructions given to the enumerators, which questions were asked on each census, and more. We also talk about books and resources to help […]

In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss three case studies about probate records. In our last episode, we talked all about how to find probate records and what are in them. This episode is about how to probate files to answer a research question. It’s amazing how many clues are hiding in these […]

In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss one of our favorite record types for proving identity and parentage: probate records. These records are key in identifying relationships between children and their fathers in 18-19th century United States research. Probate records include wills, inventories, sales slips, receipts, debt payments, summons, petitions, and all kinds […]

In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss what to do when you find an indexed record entry on FamilySearch with no image attached. If there is a microfilm number in the citation, you can use that to find the digitized images of the microfilm and locate the original image of that baptism record […]

In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss how to use the FamilySearch Catalog to find record sets in your locality, search for genealogies that include your surnames, and filter records that are available online. We’ll discuss all our favorite tips for using this incredible repository. Links The FamilySearch Catalog: A Researcher’s Best Friend […]

In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss the process for accreditation through ICAPGen, the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists. I asked a lot of questions about writing the 4-generation report, the testing levels, and how to prepare. Listen in to hear all Diana’s great advice! Also, it’s the last day […]

In our podcast episode today, Diana and I are interviewing Sherri Hessick, a former Research Like a Pro study group member. Sherri was part of our first study group in 2017. When she joined, she was a graduate of the Boston University online genealogy program. Sherri tells what she learned from doing the study group […]

In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss the process of making a locality guide. If you are feeling unsure about how much information to add and how to know if you’re finished, you’ll want to take a listen! Links ArchiveGrid – 5 million records describing archival materials held in archives, libraries, museums, etc. […]

In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss using the Research Like a Pro process to discover more about the actions of our ancestor, Florence Creer Kelsey. She was a War Mother during WWII, and Diana did a project to discover what that was and learn more about the organization. Veteran’s Day this year […]