The Research Like a Pro Genealogy Podcast
Research Like a Pro is a genealogy podcast hosted by Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer of FamilyLocket.com. It focuses on genealogy research methodology, covering topics such as research objectives, analysis, locality research, planning, source citations, report writing, and case studies. The podcast aims to help listeners improve their family history research skills and break through brick walls using professional genealogist techniques.
Episodes
RLP 415: Testing AI's Ability to Map Historical Land Records
Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer examine the current capabilities of artificial intelligence for mapping historical land records. Nicole tests ChatGPT's ability to convert a metes and bounds description from a 1788 Arnold-West deed into an accurate land plat drawing. She compares the AI-generated results against a verified plat she previously created using DeedMapper software. Nicole experiments with s
RLP 414: A Trip to the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
Diana and Nicole share their recent visit to the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where they explore the facility's premier resources. Listeners learn how to use the Periodical Source Index (PERSI) to locate articles by keyword, surname, or locality. The pair explains the value of city directories for tracking individuals after 1950 to uncover addresses and occu
RLP 413: Using Claude's Custom Skills for Genealogy Research Reports
Hosts Nicole and Diana discuss using Claude's Custom Skills to automate genealogical report writing. Nicole begins by sharing her previous, challenging attempt to transform a Baldy Dyer research log spreadsheet into a research report using earlier Claude models. Diana provides an overview of Claude, noting its models (Haiku, Sonnet, Opus) and new features like Custom Skills, which are similar to C
RLP 412: Acadian Genealogy and Ancestral Intuition with Judy Nimer Muhn
The episode features guest Judy Nimer Muhn, a professional genealogist and author who specializes in French-Canadian, Acadian, and Indigenous ancestry. Judy is also the owner of Lineage Journeys and serves as the President of the Michigan Genealogical Council. Nicole and Diana discuss Acadian research with Judy, focusing on how she defines the Acadians and distinguishes them from French-Canadians.
RLP 411: 23andMe Clustering and Chromosome Browser
This episode of the Research Like a Pro Genealogy podcast focuses on the latest updates from 23andMe: the new DNA Relatives Clustering feature and the return of the chromosome browser. Nicole introduces the topic by explaining that both features are now available for premium users, stating that this move, while potentially disappointing for some, is necessary to support the profitability of DNA te
RLP 410: Catholic Nun Research with Sunny Morton
This episode of the Research Like a Pro Genealogy podcast features guest Sunny Morton. Sunny is a genealogy educator, writer, and editor who specializes in US records, particularly those of religious denominations. She is the author of Searching for Sisters: A Guide to Researching Catholic Nuns in the United States. The discussion begins with the motivation behind writing the book, Searching for S
RLP 409: Negative Search Results vs. Negative Evidence: When Nothing Found Means Something
On this episode of Research Like a Pro, Diana and Nicole discuss how to transform unsuccessful searching into powerful proof by distinguishing between negative search results and negative evidence. Diana mentions that she is reading an article from the National Genealogical Society Quarterly about a DNA cluster that links two distant lines of descent. Diana shares that a search that yields "nothin
RLP 408: Buried Secrets - Interview with Ann Hanson
This episode of Research Like a Pro features an illuminating interview with author and genealogist Anne Hanson. Anne is the author of Buried Secrets: Looking for Frank and Ida, a deeply personal family history that uncovers the hidden past of her paternal grandparents. A lifelong genealogist and writer, Anne specializes in researching ordinary lives in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Sw
RLP 407: Agentic Browsers and Native Integrations: Second Edition of RLP with AI
This episode focuses on the newly updated second edition of the Research Like a Pro with AI genealogy workbook. Nicole and Diana discuss how the book shifts its attention from early 2025 models to the most powerful models available in mid-February 2026, specifically ChatGPT 5.2, Claude Opus 4.6, and Gemini 3. Diana highlights the most significant change, which is the introduction of "agentic" brow
RLP 406: Goldie May's New AI Tool with Richard Miller
This episode features guest Richard Miller, who discusses the Goldie May AI assistant. Richard explains the AI assistant was added to provide genealogists with an injection of brain power when they feel stuck on a family line. He says the tool helps users find answers by proposing different thinking options. They discuss how the tool assists with core research tasks. The AI assistant helps with re
RLP 405: Interview with Mark and Steve of the Family History AI Show
Nicole and Diana open the episode by discussing Claude in Chrome for Pedigree Triangulation before introducing their interview with Mark and Steve about AI, who host the Family History AI Show. Mark Thompson also runs the Making Family History blog, and Steve Little writes on his Substack, Vibe Genealogy AI. Steve is the AI Program Director for the National Genealogical Society. They both teach wi
RLP 404: RootsTech Class 2026 Class Takeaways
This episode features listener takeaways from the recent RootsTech 2026 conference. Diana discusses the overall positive impressions of the event, noting the high quality of the presentations and the unanimous message about disclosing the use of AI and double-checking its work. Nicole and Diana review several classes on AI, including transforming family history into song, understanding AI's role i
RLP 403: Transforming Court Records Research with AI: Analyzing
Diana and Nicole discuss the analysis phase of their AI-assisted research into the 18th-century court orders between Samuel Daniel and the Roystons in Colonial Virginia. They explain how AI helps them understand complex legal terms like "imparlance," "covenant," "trespass upon the case," and "replevin bond" within the context of the court cases. Going through a case-by-case analysis, they trace th
RLP 402: Transforming Court Records Research with AI: Finding and Logging
In this episode, Transforming Court Records Research with AI: Finding and Logging, Diana and Nicole discuss how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the challenging process of working with historical court records. Diana introduces the topic by explaining that while court records are treasure troves of genealogical information, they are often unindexed and difficult to read, featuring archai
RLP 401: Airtable Research Log Updates for 2026
In this episode of Research Like a Pro, Diana and Nicole discuss the all-new Version 4.2 (2026) of the Research Like a Pro with DNA Airtable Research Log. The updates are designed to streamline the genetic genealogy workflow, making DNA research more flexible and reducing duplicate data entry. Diana details the biggest change: the "Test-taker" and "DNA Match" fields in the DNA Match Details table
RLP 400: From Searcher to Researcher: Listener Takeaways from 400 Episodes
In this celebratory episode of the Research Like a Pro podcast, Diana and Nicole highlight the incredible impact the RLP process has had on their listeners by sharing several inspiring success stories. They read comments from researchers, one of whom explains how the RLP workflows help them conquer imposter syndrome, and another who shares a journey from feeling overwhelmed as a beginner to pursui
RLP 399: Merging and Separating Identities with Jan Joyce
Diana and Nicole speak with Jan Joyce, AG, CG, CGL, who developed and coordinates the new virtual institute course, "Merging & Separating Identities: Strategies and Tactics to Solve." Jan explains that the most common mistake genealogists make is failing to recognize they have a "same-name problem" and assuming multiple records belong to a single person. She notes that the challenge of merging and
RLP 398: FamilySearch Wiki with Virginia Pratt
This episode features Virginia Pratt, who brings decades of expertise to the discussion, including five years on the FamilySearch Research Wiki Team and a bachelor's degree in Family History from BYU. Virginia joins Nicole and Diana to discuss the essential, free online genealogical resource: the FamilySearch Research Wiki. Nicole asks Virginia to explain the Wiki's purpose, access methods, and ho
RLP 397: What Genealogists Can Learn from Colum McCann's "TransAtlantic": Writing Family History
The episode opens with Diana and Nicole catching up on their latest work, focusing on testing AI models for accuracy in handwritten-text transcription tasks. The hosts then discuss the novel TransAtlantic by Irish author Colum McCann and what family historians can learn from its structure to write better family narratives. Diana explains that the novel views the immigration story from the Irish pe
RLP 396: Visiting My Love County, Oklahoma, Roots
In this episode, hosts Diana and Nicole share a personal and informative journey as they visit their Love County, Oklahoma, roots to walk in the footsteps of Diana's ancestors, Richard and Nancy (Briscoe) Frazier. Diana recounts the lives of her 2nd great-grandparents, discussing their survival through the Civil War in the Ozarks, Richard's service as a teamster for the Confederacy, and their even
RLP 395: How to Use Ancestry DNA Custom Clusters in Your Research
This episode focuses on the exciting custom clustering feature now available in Ancestry's Pro Tools. Diana introduces the tool, explaining how it allows for the strategic targeting of specific ancestral lines, offering more flexibility than the original clustering tool. She describes Ancestry's process, which looks for matches sharing 65 cM to 1,300 cM with the user, and then finds those matches
RLP 394: When Birthdates Don't Agree: Analyzing and Correlating Evidence
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
RLP 393: Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston - Part 6 Writing the Report
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 Coun
RLP 392: Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston: Part 5 Research Logging and Citations
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 Lik
RLP 391: Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston - Part 4 Research Planning
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 s
RLP 390: Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston - Part 3 Locality Research
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 earl
RLP 389: Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston - Part 2 Timeline
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 Cynth
RLP 388: Ultimate Guide to Mastering FamilySearch with Dana Palmer
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 FamilyS
RLP 387: Revisiting the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston - Part 1 Objective
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 ev
RLP 386: Disappearing Act: John Royston Apprentice (1750 – after 1814)
Diana and Nicole begin the episode by chatting about what they have been working on in their research. Diana then introduces the main topic, the fascinating case of John Royston, an ancestor who ran away as a 19-year-old apprentice in Virginia in 1770. They discuss the detailed advertisement placed in The Virginia Gazette by his master, Samuel Daniel, which provides a physical description, a list
RLP 385: Women and the Law of Property in Early America
Diana and Nicole open the episode by sharing a listener spotlight that details a compelling 1867 divorce case and its complications regarding a wife's dower rights. Diana then introduces Marylynn Salmon's book, Women and the Law of Property in Early America, which serves as an excellent guide for genealogists researching female ancestors in the colonial and early national eras. They discuss how un
RLP 384 : In the News - William Beddoes (1838-1920)
In this episode of the Research Like a Pro Genealogy podcast, Diana and Nicole discuss "In the News: William Beddoes (1838-1920)." Nicole shares her work on the Sally (Keaton) Reeves phase 3 research plan in Fulton and Izard Counties, Arkansas, and then Diana introduces the topic of researching ancestors in newspapers to gain insight into their community, family, and work ethic. She highlights her
RLP 383: Early Love County Records
Nicole and Diana discuss early Love County records. Nicole shares her experience at the Love County Clerk's office, detailing her discoveries in cemetery research at Burneyville and Leon Cemeteries, and her findings in early deeds, including the Sophie Williams – R.E. Frazier Deed. She also provides historical context on Indian Territory land allotments. Nicole then discusses a case of mistaken id
RLP 382: Interview with Linda Broenniman
In this episode, Nicole and Diana chat with guest Linda Broenniman. Linda, who grew up in Buffalo, New York, is the middle child of seven born to Hungarian physicians who survived World War II. She holds a BA in psychology from Swarthmore College and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon. Linda is also a Wilbur Award recipient and a GenerationsForward speaker for the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Cente
RLP 381: Love County Tax Records
In this episode, Nicole and Diana discuss Nicole's research adventures in Love County, Oklahoma, focusing on tax records. Nicole shares her experience of finding valuable genealogical treasures in an old jail, detailing the challenges she faced, such as a lack of workspace and a dying phone battery, and how she adapted. She explains the organization of the tax records, including multiple volumes p
RLP 380: Love County Courthouse Land Records
Today, Nicole and Diana discuss Nicole's genealogical "treasure hunt" at the Love County Courthouse in Marietta, Oklahoma, where she uncovered land records for her Harris family ancestors. Nicole shares her preparation process, including calling the courthouse and using RandyMajors.org to map out locations. She recounts her journey to the courthouse and how she became oriented with the deed books
RLP 379: Handwritten Text Recognition with Google AI Studio
Welcome to Research Like a Pro! In this episode, Nicole and Diana discuss high-quality handwritten text recognition with Gemini 2.5 Pro in Google AI Studio. Nicole shares her experience transcribing a 1791 South Carolina deed, highlighting how accurate the transcription was using Google AI Studio. She explains that Google AI Studio is a free, web-based tool for prototyping and testing Google's Gem
RLP 378: Interview with Gavin Beinart-Smollan
Today, Nicole and Diana welcome Gavin Beinart-Smollan, the Public Historian in Residence at The Jewish Board, one of New York State's largest and oldest mental health and social service agencies. Gavin is also a PhD candidate at New York University, researching the history of Jewish immigration and the Jewish immigrant family. He is the project lead for 150yearsofcare.org, a digital history exhibi
RLP 377: Visiting the Cassia County Historical Society and Museum
In this episode, Diana and Nicole discuss the value of visiting a local historical society and museum for genealogical research. Diana shares her experience visiting the Cassia County Historical Society & Museum in Burley, Idaho. She talks about finding scrapbooks with newspaper articles, including tributes to her Uncle Ted Kelsey and details about her family's donated pioneer cabin. Nicole also r
RLP 376: Preparing for Onsite Research - Part 3
Nicole and Diana discuss the final and most important step in preparing for an onsite genealogy research trip: calling the facility. Diana opens by referencing previous episodes that covered foundational steps like creating a research objective, developing a timeline, conducting locality research, and crafting a detailed research plan. Nicole emphasizes that calling ahead is her number one tip for
RLP 375: Preparing for Onsite Research - Part 2
In this episode, Nicole and Diana discuss preparing for onsite research, focusing on the critical importance of thorough locality research and detailed planning. They explore Nicole's contrasting experiences with Love County, Oklahoma, where she conducted comprehensive research into the county's 1907 creation from Chickasaw Nation, clerk responsibilities, and record locations, versus her rushed ap
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 ex
RLP 373: Heirloom Charts with Robert Stevens
Welcome to Research Like a Pro, where 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 DA
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 vi
RLP 371: Comparing Marriage Records: Original Licence and Return vs Marriage Book Entry
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.
RLP 369: Decoding the 1819 Weatherford Assault Case in Frontier Arkansas
Today's episode, sponsored by Newspapers.com, focuses on decoding the 1819 Weatherford Assault Case in Frontier Arkansas. Diana introduces the topic of researching challenging court records and how new AI tools can assist with finding, transcribing, and understanding them. She discusses her project to discover the father of Henderson Weatherford, which led her to Lawrence County, Arkansas, court r
RLP 368: AI in the Driver's Seat - Using Technology to Identify Vehicles in Family Photos
Welcome to Research Like a Pro! In this episode, Diana and Nicole explore how artificial intelligence can help identify vehicles in old family photographs, adding depth to family stories. Diana shares her experience using a custom GPT called "Genealogy Eyes" through ChatGPT to analyze a photo of her mother, Anna Mae Kelsey, seated on a sheep in front of the family car. Listeners learn how AI can i
RLP 367: The Nurturing Legacy of My Second Great-Grandmother - Alice Frazier Harris
In this episode of Research Like a Pro, Nicole and Diana discuss Nicole's second great-grandmother, Alice "Allie" Frazier Harris, focusing on her nurturing nature. Listeners will learn about Alice's birth in Montague County, Texas, and her parents, Richard Frazier and Nancy E. Briscoe. Richard was a Civil War veteran. They also discuss Alice's school years, her marriage to Dock Harris in 1904, and
RLP 366: Using AI to Add Historical Context - Boston Union Workhouse and Sarah Jane (Miller) Creer
RLP 365: Thomas B Royston's Land and Headstone in Chambers County, Alabama
Diana and Nicole discuss Thomas B. Royston's land and headstone in Chambers County, Alabama. Diana shares about her trip to Alabama, where she visited the cemetery where her third great-grandfather, Thomas, is buried and viewed the land he owned. They start with Thomas's life in DeKalb County, examining the 1840 census and questioning the identity of "F.B. Royston." The discussion moves to Thomas
RLP 364: How to Match Individuals in Old Photos Using Related Faces
On the podcast episode, Nicole shares her experience identifying people in old family photos, specifically those of her great-great-grandparents, Daniel O'Connell Elder and Jessie Estelle (Ross) Elder, and their children. Nicole begins by describing a 1914 photo where only a few people are identified. She uses letters and information shared from a relative who was a DNA match to figure out who som
RLP 363: A Day at the Chamber County Courthouse: Tips for Success
This podcast episode discusses visiting county courthouses for genealogical research. Diana shares her experience at the Chambers County Courthouse in Alabama, where she researched her ancestor, Thomas Beverly Royston. She explains the importance of preparing a research plan before visiting, including creating a timeline and identifying potential records. She also mentions learning about what reco
RLP 362: A Day at the Alabama Department of Archives and History
This podcast episode centers around Diana's research trip to the Alabama Department of Archives & History (ADAH) in search of information about her ancestor, Thomas B. Royston. Diana shares how she wanted to fill gaps in his timeline, particularly regarding his move to Chambers County, Alabama. She details the process of researching at ADAH, from registering and receiving a research card to workin
RLP 361: Home Sweet Home - The House that Charles C. Creer Built
In this episode, Nicole and Diana discuss the ancestral home of Diana's great-grandparents, Charles Cannon Creer and Mary Margaret Peterson. Nicole introduces the topic of researching ancestral homes, emphasizing the importance of exploring the architecture and records like city directories, taxes, maps, and newspapers. Diana shares the story of Charles building a home in Spanish Fork, Utah, for h
360: The Indigo Girl – Eliza Lucas Pinckney in 18th Century South Carolina
In Episode 360 of the Research Like a Pro Genealogy podcast, Diana and Nicole discuss Eliza Lucas Pinckney and her contributions to 18th Century South Carolina. They focus on Eliza's life, detailing her early years in Antigua and England, her move to South Carolina, and her management of plantations. They highlight Eliza's interest in botany and her successful cultivation of indigo as a valuable e
RLP 359: Belle Carpenter and 1875 Divorce
This podcast episode focuses on the 1875 divorce case of Belle Carpenter and John W. Carpenter in Dallas County, Texas. Diana discusses discovering the divorce case while researching her ancestor, Isabella Weatherford. She shares how a newspaper article led her to find the court documents and describes using AI to transcribe and analyze the case file. They talk about the details of the court case,
RLP 358: Jemima Griggs and Joseph Knight Senior
This podcast episode of "Research Like a Pro" focuses on the common ancestors of Joseph Knight Sr. and Jemima Griggs. Nicole shares how Joseph Knight Sr., who aided Joseph Smith Jr., is her half third cousin eight times removed, connected through her paternal grandmother's fourth-great-grandmother, Jemima Griggs. They both descended from John Knight. Nicole explains how she uses the Relative Finde
RLP 357: AI and Full Text Search
Diana and Nicole discuss using FamilySearch's Full-Text Search to make genealogical discoveries. Diana explains how the tool helped her find new information about her ancestor, Thomas Beverly Royston, after previous searches came up empty. She details how to find and use the Full-Text Search feature on the FamilySearch website and shares tips for refining searches to get the best results. Diana de
RLP 356: Clarinda and Jerusha- Puritan Roots to Pioneer Legacy
This podcast episode focuses on the genealogy of two women, Clarinda Knapp Allen and Jerusha Barden Smith, and their connection to early settlers and significant figures in American history and the Latter-day Saint movement. Nicole discusses her husband's ancestry, specifically how his relatives married into the Hyrum Smith family. She then shifts focus to one of her own ancestors, Clarinda Knapp,
RLP 355: Anna Nash and the Cowderys: Uncovering Family Connections
This episode focuses on Anna Nash and the Cowdery family connections. Nicole and Diana discuss the genealogical links between Nicole's husband's family and Oliver Cowdery, a prominent figure in early LDS church history. They start with Oliver Cowdery's background, including his work with Joseph Smith and his later life. The episode then shifts to Oliver's half-sister, Phebe Lawrence Cowdery, and h
RLP 354: Ancestors' Journals - Phinehas Richards in Church Archives
Nicole and Diana discuss the life of Phinehas Richards, Nicole's husband's 4th-great-grandfather. Nicole shares details about Phinehas's life, including his birth in Massachusetts, his marriage to Wealthy Dewey, and his work as a cabinet maker. She recounts Phinehas's conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, his baptism by Brigham Young, and his ordination as a high priest. D
RLP 353: Citing Digitized Records on Family Search
Nicole and Diana discuss citing digitized records from FamilySearch. Nicole explains that FamilySearch has billions of digitized records that can be attached, downloaded, or added to a research log. They emphasize the importance of precise source citations. Diana illustrates the challenge of citing digitized microfilm records, using an example from Russell County, Alabama's Orphan's Court Docket.
RLP 352: Levi Richards' Journal Account of Joseph Smith's First Vision
Nicole and Diana discuss Levi Richards' journal account of Joseph Smith's First Vision. Nicole shares her personal connection to Levi Richards, who is her husband's 4th-great-granduncle and the brother of Willard Richards. They talk about Levi's life, his mission to England, and his role as a physician. They then focus on Levi's journal and its significance as a historical source, specifically the
RLP 351: Separating Women of the Same Name - Two Cleo Zinns
In this episode of Research Like a Pro, Diana and Nicole discuss the challenge of separating women with the same name in genealogical research, specifically focusing on two women named Cleo Zinn. Diana explains how she encountered a mystery DNA match that led her to research Mary Clem Carpenter and her daughter, Cleo. She discovers conflicting information about Cleo, including multiple husbands, d
RLP 350: Florence Creer Kelsey and Her First Job
In Episode 350 of the Research Like a Pro Genealogy podcast, Diana and Nicole discuss Florence Matilda (Creer) Kelsey's first job. Diana begins by asking Nicole what she has been working on or reading. Diana recaps RootsTech, mentioning classes on AI, locality research, and transcriptions, as well as meeting listeners. Diana then introduces the subject of the episode by asking listeners if they re
RLP 349: RootsTech 2025 Tech Announcements
In this episode of Research Like a Pro, Nicole and Diana discuss several new genealogy tools and features. They cover the AncestryDNA "Matches by Cluster" feature, which is a visualization tool for Pro Tools users to identify related DNA matches. They also discuss the improved AncestryDNA feature that allows users to attach DNA matches' lines to their family trees. Nicole explains the updates to t
RLP 348: William Kelsey's Diary and Spiritual Manifestations
In this episode of Research Like a Pro, Nicole and Diana discuss their ancestor, William Henry Kelsey, and the spiritual manifestations he recorded in his diary. They explore William's early life in England, his conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and his missionary service. The discussion includes details about William's family, his various residences, and his marriage
RLP 347: Effie Kelsey and BitterSweet-A Poem, Researching Material Culture
RLP 346: The Mystery of Claude "Dock" Harris' Nickname
Diana and Nicole explore the mystery of Diana's great-grandfather's nickname, Dock Harris. They discuss how his name was recorded as D.H., Dock H., or Dock in records, which was puzzling because it seemed like a nickname. They explain how this caused confusion for Diana's father, Bob, when he began researching the family history. Bob knew his grandfather as Grandpa Harris and had no other informat
RLP 345- Edward Raymond Kelsey- Horseman and Sheriff's Posse Member
In this episode of Research Like a Pro, Diana and Nicole discuss how to choose a favorite photo out of a large collection. Diana shares a photo of her grandfather, Edward Raymond Kelsey, on his horse, Pal, and talks about his love for horses. She experimented with using AI to analyze the photo and shares her findings. Diana used Mark Thompson's Historical Photo Analyzer custom GPT and was impresse
RLP 344: Colonial American Research and "The Peopling of British North America"
In Episode #344 of Research Like a Pro, Nicole and Diana discuss Colonial American Research. Diana explains the difficulties of finding the original immigrant for ancestors who immigrated during the colonial years. Nicole suggests learning from historians who have studied immigration patterns and developing a hypothesis based on what is known about ancestors and their groups. They introduce the bo
RLP 343: Turn Your Family Tree into a Book with Rebecca Shamblin
Nicole and Diana interview Rebecca Shamblin, genealogist, speaker, author, and blogger, about turning your family tree into a book. Rebecca gives an overview of her two books, "Leaving a Legacy: Turn Your Family Tree into a Family Book" and "Building a Legacy: A Guide to Combining Ancestry.com and Family Tree Maker." The hosts and Rebecca discuss the five phases of creating a family history book:
RLP 342: Joseph Lee Robinson and the Book of Covenants
In this episode, Nicole and Diana discuss Joseph Lee Robinson and the Book of Covenants. Joseph Lee Robinson was Nicole's husband's 4th-great-grandfather, who joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1836. He wrote an autobiography in 1883, where he described his conversion and testimony. The hosts explain the religious fervor in the United States during that time, known as the Se
RLP 341: The Value of Negative Evidence
In today's episode of Research Like a Pro, Diana and Nicole discuss the value of negative evidence in genealogy research. They explore the case of Henderson Weatherford, who was long assumed to be the son of William Weatherford. However, a careful examination of William's probate records reveals that Henderson is not listed among the heirs. Additionally, tax records show that Henderson disappeared
RLP 340: Using AI to Analyze Tax Data
In this episode of Research Like a Pro, Nicole and Diana discuss using AI to analyze tax records. Tax research involves a lot of data, and once you've extracted the data, analyzing it can be a challenge. Diana explains how she exported data from Airtable into a CSV file, and Nicole explains how she used Claude AI to create a table from the data. Diana provides an example of how she used the AI ana
RLP 339: Customizing an Airtable Research Log for Tax Records
In Episode #339 of Research Like a Pro, Nicole and Diana discuss customizing an Airtable research log for tax research. Tax records are invaluable for genealogy research because they were taken annually, filling in the gaps between federal censuses. The challenge is finding a good way to track and analyze the data. Airtable is a favorite research log tool, and by adding a linked table to the log,
RLP 338: When City Directory Indexing Goes Wrong
In this episode of Research Like a Pro, Nicole and Diana discuss the challenges of using city directories in genealogical research. Nicole shares her experience with the Trinidad, Colorado, city directory, where she encountered indexing errors due to the directory's unique formatting. The directory included the post office location after each person's name, which the indexing process misinterprete
RLP 337: Handwritten Text Recognition by Claude 3.5 Sonnet
In this episode of the Research Like a Pro Genealogy podcast, Diana and Nicole discuss the advancements in handwritten text recognition by large language models (LLMs), specifically Claude 3.5 Sonnet. Nicole shares her experience testing Claude's transcription abilities with an 1829 North Carolina deed. She is impressed with the accuracy, noting that Claude even outperformed her manual transcripti
RLP 336: Without the Parish with Jessica Morgan- Probate, Court, and Manor Record
In this episode of Research Like a Pro Genealogy podcast, Diana and Nicole continue their series on researching in England without parish records. They are joined by Jessica Morgan. Jessica is a genealogist specializing in British family research. The hosts and Jessica discuss using probate records to find family members, focusing on the differences between pre- and post-1858 records. They explai
