Épisodes

  • RLP 394: When Birthdates Don't Agree: Analyzing and Correlating Evidence
    Jan 26 2026
    Nicole and Diana open the episode by discussing what they are currently working on, including their projects for the 14-day challenge. They then turn to the challenge of family history research when conflicting dates appear for an ancestor. Diana explains that because original records may not exist, genealogists must rely on sources created later in a person's life, which often do not agree. Diana uses a case study of her relative, Mary Elizabeth (Royston) Slagle, to show how to analyze and correlate evidence to find the most accurate birth date. They examine numerous records for Mary, starting with several U.S. census records from 1840 to 1910, which provide conflicting birth years. They discuss the value of the marriage bond for Mary's 1855 marriage to Joseph Slagle, analyzing why her father acting as surety does not prove she was underage in this specific Alabama instance. Finally, they look at conflicting death records—a newspaper obituary, death certificate, and gravestone—which offer yet more dates. By correlating all the evidence, including Thomas Beverly Royston's residency and land records, Diana concludes that the most reliable birth date is May 4, 1835, in DeKalb County, Alabama. Listeners learn to carefully analyze each piece of evidence, its informant, and its reliability to reach a sound genealogical conclusion. This summary was generated by Google Gemini. Links When Birthdates Don't Agree: Analyzing and Correlating Evidence - https://familylocket.com/when-birthdates-dont-agree-analyzing-and-correlating-evidence/ Sponsor – Newspapers.com For listeners of this podcast, Newspapers.com is offering new subscribers 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription so you can start exploring today. Just use the code "FamilyLocket" at checkout. Research Like a Pro Resources Airtable Universe - Nicole's Airtable Templates - https://www.airtable.com/universe/creator/usrsBSDhwHyLNnP4O/nicole-dyer Airtable Research Logs Quick Reference - by Nicole Dyer - https://familylocket.com/product-tag/airtable/ Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide book by Diana Elder with Nicole Dyer on Amazon.com - https://amzn.to/2x0ku3d 14-Day Research Like a Pro Challenge Workbook - digital - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-digital-only/ and spiral bound - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-spiral-bound/ Research Like a Pro Webinar Series - monthly case study webinars including documentary evidence and many with DNA evidence - https://familylocket.com/product-category/webinars/ Research Like a Pro eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-e-course/ RLP Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-study-group/ Research Like a Pro Institute Courses - https://familylocket.com/product-category/institute-course/ Research Like a Pro with DNA Resources Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist's Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence book by Diana Elder, Nicole Dyer, and Robin Wirthlin - https://amzn.to/3gn0hKx Research Like a Pro with DNA eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-ecourse/ RLP with DNA Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-study-group/ Thank you Thanks for listening! We hope that you will share your thoughts about our podcast and help us out by doing the following: Write a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. If you leave a review, we will read it on the podcast and answer any questions that you bring up in your review. Thank you! Leave a comment in the comment or question in the comment section below. Share the episode on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast app. Sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications of new episodes - https://familylocket.com/sign-up/ Check out this list of genealogy podcasts from Feedspot: Best Genealogy Podcasts - https://blog.feedspot.com/genealogy_podcasts/
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    35 min
  • RLP 393: Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston - Part 6 Writing the Report
    Jan 19 2026
    In this episode, Diana and Nicole discuss the crucial process of writing a formal research report for the ongoing case study to identify the father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston. Diana explains that a report is essential for synthesizing details, bringing a research phase to a close, and providing next steps. She outlines the project's objective—to find a candidate for Cynthia's father in Cass County, Georgia, during the 1830s—and notes the constraints, particularly the missing early Cass County deed records. They review previous research, including the systematic elimination of 13 Georgia Dillard candidates and the use of DNA analysis that suggests Elijah Dillard as a probable brother. The hosts share the heart of the research: the Cass County investigation. Diana details how four Dillard households found in the 1840 census were investigated and ultimately eliminated as Cynthia's family line. Nicole then reveals the major breakthrough: an analysis of the 1832 Georgia Gold Lottery identifies three new, high-priority father candidates who drew land lots specifically in Cass County: James Dillard, Joseph B. Dillard, and Roliver (Toliver) Dillard. The episode concludes with Diana's suggestions for future research, including targeted documentary work on these three men and finding a Y-DNA tester for the Elijah Dillard line. Listeners learn key principles for writing a strong genealogy report, such as documenting everything, acknowledging limitations, and creating clear next steps for future research. This summary was generated by Google Gemini. Links Merging and Separating Course - https://familylocket.com/product/merging-and-separating-identities/ Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston: Part 6 Writing the Report - https://familylocket.com/revisiting-the-father-of-cynthia-dillard-royston-part-6-writing-the-report/ Cynthia Dillard Father Candidate Phase 4 Oct 2025 - https://familylocket.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Cynthia-Dillard-Father-Candidate-Phase-4-Oct-2025.pdf Sponsor – Newspapers.com For listeners of this podcast, Newspapers.com is offering new subscribers 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription so you can start exploring today. Just use the code "FamilyLocket" at checkout. Research Like a Pro Resources Airtable Universe - Nicole's Airtable Templates - https://www.airtable.com/universe/creator/usrsBSDhwHyLNnP4O/nicole-dyer Airtable Research Logs Quick Reference - by Nicole Dyer - https://familylocket.com/product-tag/airtable/ Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide book by Diana Elder with Nicole Dyer on Amazon.com - https://amzn.to/2x0ku3d 14-Day Research Like a Pro Challenge Workbook - digital - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-digital-only/ and spiral bound - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-spiral-bound/ Research Like a Pro Webinar Series - monthly case study webinars including documentary evidence and many with DNA evidence - https://familylocket.com/product-category/webinars/ Research Like a Pro eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-e-course/ RLP Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-study-group/ Research Like a Pro Institute Courses - https://familylocket.com/product-category/institute-course/ Research Like a Pro with DNA Resources Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist's Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence book by Diana Elder, Nicole Dyer, and Robin Wirthlin - https://amzn.to/3gn0hKx Research Like a Pro with DNA eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-ecourse/ RLP with DNA Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-study-group/ Thank you Thanks for listening! We hope that you will share your thoughts about our podcast and help us out by doing the following: Write a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. If you leave a review, we will read it on the podcast and answer any questions that you bring up in your review. Thank you! Leave a comment in the comment or question in the comment section below. Share the episode on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast app. Sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications of new episodes - https://familylocket.com/sign-up/ Check out this list of genealogy podcasts from Feedspot: Best Genealogy Podcasts - https://blog.feedspot.com/genealogy_podcasts/
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    31 min
  • RLP 392: Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston: Part 5 Research Logging and Citations
    Jan 12 2026
    This episode addresses the importance of methodically logging research and creating source citations as you follow a research plan. Diana shares her strategy for quickly creating citations for FamilySearch records, emphasizing the value of creating the citation first to understand the source and ensure it's done. Nicole explains how she sets up and fills out her research log using the Research Like a Pro Airtable template, which includes features for grouping, sorting, and linking records to a timeline. Diana walks listeners through an example by detailing how she researched a potential parent for Cynthia (Dillard) Royston, Elizabeth Dillard, finding her in a 1838 Cass County, Georgia deed. Diana then demonstrates her method for creating the FamilySearch source citation, highlighting the process of capturing the digital layer (URL and access date) first and then constructing the physical layer with details from the record image. Nicole also discusses her use of Google AI Studio for transcribing and a separate AI for abstracting the record. This research confirmed Elizabeth Dillard was from South Carolina, eliminating her as a candidate for Cynthia's mother. Diana shares that her other candidate was also eliminated, and she now shifts her research focus to the 1832 land lottery. Listeners learn a clear, systematic process for research logging, creating detailed source citations, and incorporating AI into their transcription and abstracting workflow. This summary was generated by Google Gemini. Links Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston: Part 5 Research Logging and Citations - https://familylocket.com/revisiting-the-father-of-cynthia-dillard-royston-part-5-research-logging-and-citations/ Sponsor – Newspapers.com For listeners of this podcast, Newspapers.com is offering new subscribers 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription so you can start exploring today. Just use the code "FamilyLocket" at checkout. Research Like a Pro Resources Airtable Universe - Nicole's Airtable Templates - https://www.airtable.com/universe/creator/usrsBSDhwHyLNnP4O/nicole-dyer Airtable Research Logs Quick Reference - by Nicole Dyer - https://familylocket.com/product-tag/airtable/ Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide book by Diana Elder with Nicole Dyer on Amazon.com - https://amzn.to/2x0ku3d 14-Day Research Like a Pro Challenge Workbook - digital - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-digital-only/ and spiral bound - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-spiral-bound/ Research Like a Pro Webinar Series - monthly case study webinars including documentary evidence and many with DNA evidence - https://familylocket.com/product-category/webinars/ Research Like a Pro eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-e-course/ RLP Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-study-group/ Research Like a Pro Institute Courses - https://familylocket.com/product-category/institute-course/ Research Like a Pro with DNA Resources Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist's Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence book by Diana Elder, Nicole Dyer, and Robin Wirthlin - https://amzn.to/3gn0hKx Research Like a Pro with DNA eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-ecourse/ RLP with DNA Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-study-group/ Thank you Thanks for listening! We hope that you will share your thoughts about our podcast and help us out by doing the following: Write a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. If you leave a review, we will read it on the podcast and answer any questions that you bring up in your review. Thank you! Leave a comment in the comment or question in the comment section below. Share the episode on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast app. Sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications of new episodes - https://familylocket.com/sign-up/ Check out this list of genealogy podcasts from Feedspot: Best Genealogy Podcasts - https://blog.feedspot.com/genealogy_podcasts/
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    26 min
  • RLP 391: Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston - Part 4 Research Planning
    Jan 5 2026
    In this episode, Nicole and Diana discuss the crucial "Research Planning" stage of the Research Like a Pro process in the fourth part of their series on the father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston. Nicole begins by emphasizing the importance of creating a thoughtful research plan rather than haphazardly searching records. Diana then walks through the specific steps she takes for this case study. She states her objective, which is to discover a candidate for Cynthia Dillard's father residing in Cass County, Georgia, during the 1830s. Listeners hear her summary of known facts for Cynthia, her husband Thomas B. Royston, and a probable relative, Elijah Dillard, who was identified through DNA. Nicole shares the background information she gathered on Cass County, Georgia, including its formation, its role in the 1832 Cherokee Land Lottery, and the impact of the Civil War. Diana presents her hypothesis, suggesting that Cynthia and Thomas B. Royston married in Cass County around 1833 and that two Dillard household heads from the 1840 census are potential candidates for Cynthia's father. Finally, she shares her full list of identified sources from her Cass County locality guide and concludes with her prioritized research plan, which starts with Census, Marriage, and Land Records. Listeners learn how to systematically move from a broad objective and known facts to a focused, prioritized plan for complex family history research. This summary was generated by Google Gemini. Links Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston: Part 4 Research Planning - https://familylocket.com/revisiting-the-father-of-cynthia-dillard-royston-part-4-research-planning/ Sponsor – Newspapers.com For listeners of this podcast, Newspapers.com is offering new subscribers 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription so you can start exploring today. Just use the code "FamilyLocket" at checkout. Research Like a Pro Resources Airtable Universe - Nicole's Airtable Templates - https://www.airtable.com/universe/creator/usrsBSDhwHyLNnP4O/nicole-dyer Airtable Research Logs Quick Reference - by Nicole Dyer - https://familylocket.com/product-tag/airtable/ Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide book by Diana Elder with Nicole Dyer on Amazon.com - https://amzn.to/2x0ku3d 14-Day Research Like a Pro Challenge Workbook - digital - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-digital-only/ and spiral bound - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-spiral-bound/ Research Like a Pro Webinar Series - monthly case study webinars including documentary evidence and many with DNA evidence - https://familylocket.com/product-category/webinars/ Research Like a Pro eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-e-course/ RLP Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-study-group/ Research Like a Pro Institute Courses - https://familylocket.com/product-category/institute-course/ Research Like a Pro with DNA Resources Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist's Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence book by Diana Elder, Nicole Dyer, and Robin Wirthlin - https://amzn.to/3gn0hKx Research Like a Pro with DNA eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-ecourse/ RLP with DNA Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-study-group/ Thank you Thanks for listening! We hope that you will share your thoughts about our podcast and help us out by doing the following: Write a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. If you leave a review, we will read it on the podcast and answer any questions that you bring up in your review. Thank you! Leave a comment in the comment or question in the comment section below. Share the episode on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast app. Sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications of new episodes - https://familylocket.com/sign-up/ Check out this list of genealogy podcasts from Feedspot: Best Genealogy Podcasts - https://blog.feedspot.com/genealogy_podcasts/
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    26 min
  • RLP 390: Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston - Part 3 Locality Research
    Dec 29 2025
    The episode centers on the process of locality research for Cass County, Georgia, as Diana continues her project to find the father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston. Diana explains her research objective is to discover a candidate for Cynthia's father residing in the county during the 1830s. Nicole discusses the importance of narrowing the time frame for a locality guide, focusing on the county's earliest years from 1832 to 1860. They then compare their process for utilizing the Deep Research capabilities of large language models (LLMs) to create the guide, sharing their query and noting the varying results from Claude, Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Gemini. Diana and Nicole discuss two crucial findings that impacted their research strategy. They detail the county's name change from Cass to Bartow in 1861 due to General Lewis Cass's Union sympathies and the Confederacy's desire to honor Colonel Francis S. Bartow. They also review the record loss event from the courthouse burning in 1864, explaining that many records like deed and marriage books were saved by the heroic efforts of County Clerk Tom Word. Additionally, they summarize the 1832 Cherokee Land Lottery, which was the method for distributing land and attracting settlers to the area. Listeners learn how to efficiently use AI to create a comprehensive locality guide and gain valuable insight into how events like name changes, record loss, and land distribution fundamentally shape genealogical records. This summary was generated by Google Gemini. Links Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston: Part 3 Locality Research - https://familylocket.com/revisiting-the-father-of-cynthia-dillard-royston-part-3-locality-research/ Sponsor – Newspapers.com For listeners of this podcast, Newspapers.com is offering new subscribers 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription so you can start exploring today. Just use the code "FamilyLocket" at checkout. Research Like a Pro Resources Airtable Universe - Nicole's Airtable Templates - https://www.airtable.com/universe/creator/usrsBSDhwHyLNnP4O/nicole-dyer Airtable Research Logs Quick Reference - by Nicole Dyer - https://familylocket.com/product-tag/airtable/ Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide book by Diana Elder with Nicole Dyer on Amazon.com - https://amzn.to/2x0ku3d 14-Day Research Like a Pro Challenge Workbook - digital - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-digital-only/ and spiral bound - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-spiral-bound/ Research Like a Pro Webinar Series - monthly case study webinars including documentary evidence and many with DNA evidence - https://familylocket.com/product-category/webinars/ Research Like a Pro eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-e-course/ RLP Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-study-group/ Research Like a Pro Institute Courses - https://familylocket.com/product-category/institute-course/ Research Like a Pro with DNA Resources Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist's Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence book by Diana Elder, Nicole Dyer, and Robin Wirthlin - https://amzn.to/3gn0hKx Research Like a Pro with DNA eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-ecourse/ RLP with DNA Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-study-group/ Thank you Thanks for listening! We hope that you will share your thoughts about our podcast and help us out by doing the following: Write a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. If you leave a review, we will read it on the podcast and answer any questions that you bring up in your review. Thank you! Leave a comment in the comment or question in the comment section below. Share the episode on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast app. Sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications of new episodes - https://familylocket.com/sign-up/ Check out this list of genealogy podcasts from Feedspot: Best Genealogy Podcasts - https://blog.feedspot.com/genealogy_podcasts/
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    28 min
  • RLP 389: Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston - Part 2 Timeline
    Dec 22 2025
    This episode focuses on the second step of the Research Like a Pro process: creating a timeline and analyzing the sources in the ongoing quest to find the father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston. Diana begins by detailing the research objective for this phase: to discover a candidate for Cynthia's father residing in Cass County, Georgia, during the 1830s. Diana discusses compiling a timeline for Cynthia, analyzing her census records, and explaining why she estimates Cynthia's birth year as 1815, based on her marriage and the birth of her oldest child. Nicole introduces the section on Elijah Dillard of Alabama, a possible genetic brother to Cynthia, whom Diana includes in the timeline for comparison. Diana reviews Elijah's records and estimates his birth year to be close to Cynthia's. Listeners learn how to critically evaluate conflicting ages in census records and use other family events to narrow down a probable birth year. Diana then adds the unresearched Cass County, Georgia, Dillards from the 1840 census to the timeline, identifying Elizabeth and John Dillard as the most likely parents based on their age. She notes a second Elijah Dillard in the Cass County group, which prompts her to use geographic identifiers in the timeline to distinguish the two men. Diana concludes with a source analysis of the federal census records, discussing their value as original records and the difference between direct evidence and undetermined information. She also observes that the proximity of John, William, and Elijah in the 1840 census district suggests a connection, while Elizabeth's location requires further research. Listeners see how to use timelines to organize existing research and how initial record analysis can lead to new research questions. This summary was generated by Google Gemini. Links Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston: Part 2 Timeline and Analysis - https://familylocket.com/revisiting-the-father-of-cynthia-dillard-royston-part-2-timeline-and-analysis/ Sponsor – Newspapers.com For listeners of this podcast, Newspapers.com is offering new subscribers 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription so you can start exploring today. Just use the code "FamilyLocket" at checkout. Research Like a Pro Resources Airtable Universe - Nicole's Airtable Templates - https://www.airtable.com/universe/creator/usrsBSDhwHyLNnP4O/nicole-dyer Airtable Research Logs Quick Reference - by Nicole Dyer - https://familylocket.com/product-tag/airtable/ Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide book by Diana Elder with Nicole Dyer on Amazon.com - https://amzn.to/2x0ku3d 14-Day Research Like a Pro Challenge Workbook - digital - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-digital-only/ and spiral bound - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-spiral-bound/ Research Like a Pro Webinar Series - monthly case study webinars including documentary evidence and many with DNA evidence - https://familylocket.com/product-category/webinars/ Research Like a Pro eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-e-course/ RLP Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-study-group/ Research Like a Pro Institute Courses - https://familylocket.com/product-category/institute-course/ Research Like a Pro with DNA Resources Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist's Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence book by Diana Elder, Nicole Dyer, and Robin Wirthlin - https://amzn.to/3gn0hKx Research Like a Pro with DNA eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-ecourse/ RLP with DNA Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-study-group/ Thank you Thanks for listening! We hope that you will share your thoughts about our podcast and help us out by doing the following: Write a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. If you leave a review, we will read it on the podcast and answer any questions that you bring up in your review. Thank you! Leave a comment in the comment or question in the comment section below. Share the episode on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast app. Sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications of new episodes - https://familylocket.com/sign-up/ Check out this list of genealogy podcasts from Feedspot: Best Genealogy Podcasts - https://blog.feedspot.com/genealogy_podcasts/
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    24 min
  • RLP 388: Ultimate Guide to Mastering FamilySearch with Dana Palmer
    Dec 15 2025
    Nicole and Diana discuss FamilySearch.org with their guest, Dana Palmer. Dana, a Certified Genealogist and Certified Genealogical Lecturer, specializes in Midwestern research, lineage society applications, and publishing family books. She is also part of the Mayflower Silver Books team and lectures at national conferences. The discussion focuses on her new book, Ultimate Guide to Mastering FamilySearch. Dana shares her early love for family history, which began as a child influenced by her grandparents, and the motivation for writing her book, which came from years of teaching popular in-person classes on the FamilySearch website. During their conversation, Dana provides an overview of FamilySearch, highlighting features like the Full-Text Search. She offers her best tips for finding records, outlining a process that involves using Full-Text Search, the historical records tab, the catalog, and local repositories. Listeners discover important facts about Full-Text Search, such as using wildcards or misspellings and knowing that some restricted collections are only available at FamilySearch centers. She also gives tips for utilizing the Research Wiki, including its Guided Research feature. Dana encourages putting family on the collaborative FamilySearch Family Tree, explaining how adding sources and memories helps protect data and detailing the privacy protections for living people. She also brings attention to the value of the Books section and the Memories section for preserving family artifacts. Finally, she reveals one of the site's best-kept secrets: the free FamilySearch Community for transcription and translation help. Listeners will learn a variety of essential strategies and tools for mastering the FamilySearch website's powerful resources. This summary was generated by Google Gemini. Links Ultimate Guide to Mastering FamilySearch - https://genealogical.com/mastering-familysearch-by-dana-ann-palmer/ Sponsor – Newspapers.com For listeners of this podcast, Newspapers.com is offering new subscribers 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription so you can start exploring today. Just use the code "FamilyLocket" at checkout. Research Like a Pro Resources Airtable Universe - Nicole's Airtable Templates - https://www.airtable.com/universe/creator/usrsBSDhwHyLNnP4O/nicole-dyer Airtable Research Logs Quick Reference - by Nicole Dyer - https://familylocket.com/product-tag/airtable/ Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide book by Diana Elder with Nicole Dyer on Amazon.com - https://amzn.to/2x0ku3d 14-Day Research Like a Pro Challenge Workbook - digital - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-digital-only/ and spiral bound - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-spiral-bound/ Research Like a Pro Webinar Series - monthly case study webinars including documentary evidence and many with DNA evidence - https://familylocket.com/product-category/webinars/ Research Like a Pro eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-e-course/ RLP Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-study-group/ Research Like a Pro Institute Courses - https://familylocket.com/product-category/institute-course/ Research Like a Pro with DNA Resources Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist's Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence book by Diana Elder, Nicole Dyer, and Robin Wirthlin - https://amzn.to/3gn0hKx Research Like a Pro with DNA eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-ecourse/ RLP with DNA Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-study-group/ Thank you Thanks for listening! We hope that you will share your thoughts about our podcast and help us out by doing the following: Write a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. If you leave a review, we will read it on the podcast and answer any questions that you bring up in your review. Thank you! Leave a comment in the comment or question in the comment section below. Share the episode on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast app. Sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications of new episodes - https://familylocket.com/sign-up/ Check out this list of genealogy podcasts from Feedspot: Best Genealogy Podcasts - https://blog.feedspot.com/genealogy_podcasts/
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    41 min
  • RLP 387: Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston - Part 1 Objective
    Dec 8 2025
    Nicole and Diana give an overview of Diana's multi-phase research to discover the father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston. Diana first reviews four past phases of her research. She discusses Phase 1, which initially focused on George W. Dillard as a strong candidate, and Phase 2, which identified and eliminated ten other Dillard candidates in the area. Both of these documentary-based hypotheses are eventually disproven. She then outlines Phase 3, where she successfully tests and disproves a false ThruLine DNA hypothesis that suggested Hopson Milner was the father. Next, Phase 4 adds DNA analysis to the quest, leading to a cluster of matches with a most recent common ancestor of Elijah Dillard, who is a possible brother or cousin to Cynthia. The project then pivots to Phase 5, based on a new record that places Cynthia's husband, Thomas B. Royston, in Cass County, Georgia, around the likely time of their marriage. This new location in Cass County, where early records were destroyed by fire, provides a new research objective: to discover a Dillard candidate residing there in the 1830s. Listeners learn how to methodically work through a complex brick wall by testing and eliminating both documentary and DNA hypotheses in a focused, systematic process. This summary was generated by Google Gemini. Links Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston: Part 1 Objective - https://familylocket.com/revisiting-the-father-of-cynthia-dillard-royston-part-1-objective/ Sponsor – Newspapers.com For listeners of this podcast, Newspapers.com is offering new subscribers 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription so you can start exploring today. Just use the code "FamilyLocket" at checkout. Research Like a Pro Resources Airtable Universe - Nicole's Airtable Templates - https://www.airtable.com/universe/creator/usrsBSDhwHyLNnP4O/nicole-dyer Airtable Research Logs Quick Reference - by Nicole Dyer - https://familylocket.com/product-tag/airtable/ Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide book by Diana Elder with Nicole Dyer on Amazon.com - https://amzn.to/2x0ku3d 14-Day Research Like a Pro Challenge Workbook - digital - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-digital-only/ and spiral bound - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-spiral-bound/ Research Like a Pro Webinar Series - monthly case study webinars including documentary evidence and many with DNA evidence - https://familylocket.com/product-category/webinars/ Research Like a Pro eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-e-course/ RLP Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-study-group/ Research Like a Pro Institute Courses - https://familylocket.com/product-category/institute-course/ Research Like a Pro with DNA Resources Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist's Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence book by Diana Elder, Nicole Dyer, and Robin Wirthlin - https://amzn.to/3gn0hKx Research Like a Pro with DNA eCourse - independent study course - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-ecourse/ RLP with DNA Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-study-group/ Thank you Thanks for listening! We hope that you will share your thoughts about our podcast and help us out by doing the following: Write a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. If you leave a review, we will read it on the podcast and answer any questions that you bring up in your review. Thank you! Leave a comment in the comment or question in the comment section below. Share the episode on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast app. Sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications of new episodes - https://familylocket.com/sign-up/ Check out this list of genealogy podcasts from Feedspot: Best Genealogy Podcasts - https://blog.feedspot.com/genealogy_podcasts/
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    28 min