Directory of Members

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  • Diana Crisman Smith

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  • Diana Crisman Smith

  • 1012 S.E. 17th Street
    Cape Coral
  • FL

  • 33990
  • United States
  • (440) 281-6288

  • 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
  • (GMT -5:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada), Bogota, Lima
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  • Diana has been researching her ancestry since age 10, speaking since 1980, and writing, teaching, and researching for clients since the late 1980s. She and her husband enjoyed serving as lay librarians at the Westlake, Ohio, Family History Center (now FamilySearch Center) for over 20 years. She has enjoyed speaking live and virtually at conferences around the country (and at sea) since the 1980s (always looking for some new audiences and topics), She has spoken to large and small audiences around the United States, in addition to the genealogy cruises. Virtual presentations have offered welcome new opportunities.

    She has written for numerous genealogical publications, including a regular column in the NGS NewsMagazine and the APG Quarterly; she was a frequent contributor to Digital Genealogist Magazine, as well as penning a regular column that ran for two years in the Cleveland Sun Newspapers. In addition, Diana also wrote "Finding Your Danish Ancestors: A Primer for Research & History" published by Heritage Productions, Toronto, Canada, 2015, “Chapter 4: Scandinavia” in The Family Tree Guidebook to Europe: Your Essential Guide to Trace Your Genealogy in Europe (2013), and transcriptions of Green County Iowa and Shelby County Iowa Cemetery Records from Cemetery Readings Copied by Graves Registration W.P.A. Project published by Heritage Books (2021). She is past board member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, Florida State Genealogical Society, Genealogical Speakers Guild, and the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors.  Since concluding a career in software consulting she has sought new opportunities to learn (including GRIP 2020 week-long sessions: Law School for Genealogists; Hands-On Forensic Genealogy; and Workshop on Land and Property Records), and to teach (currently available courses on Vital Events 101 and City Directories at ResearchWriteConnect Academy online).

  • In August 2010 at the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference in Knoxville, she was presented the Association of Professional Genealogists APGQ Excellence Award, recognizing exceptional articles submitted to the organization's quarterly magazine.
    • Midwest Research
    • Essential Methodology
    • Advanced Methodology and Analysis
    • Research in Scandinavia (especially Denmark)
    • Professional Development

  • Scandinavian Topics

    • Researching Danish Ancestry
    • Basic Scandinavian Research
    • Searching for Niels, Ole or Sven: Scandinavian Patronymics and More
      Advanced Topics
    • I Know She's Out There Somewhere! Finding Female Ancestors
    • It Takes A Village: Community Research
    • Mining Collateral Lines for Fun and Genealogical Profit: Researching Sideways Around Brick Walls
    • To Transcribe, Extract, Abstract: What's the Difference?
    • Beyond Vital Events: Making Them Real
      Basic Methodology
    • Who Says So? Documenting Your Sources
    • The US Federal Census: Good, Bad, and Ugly for Genealogists
    • There's More to Immigration than Ellis Island
    • Using the Family History Library Catalog: More Than a Catalog
    • On Your Mark, Get Set, Go: Beginning Research
    • Now That I've Found Them, How Do I Keep Track of Them?: Organizing Your Research
    • The World's Largest Genealogical Library in Your Own Backyard: Using the FamilySearch Catalog
    • You Can Get There From Here: Using Maps
    • Surveying the Land: Public Domain or Metes & Bounds or What?
    • Blankety-Blank Forms in Genealogical Research
    • Extra! Extra! Ancestors Exposed in the News: Using Newspapers in Genealogy
    • What's Black & White and Read Online: Using Online Newspapers in Genealogy
    • Counting on the Census: Using the US Federal Population Census
    • Researching with Bridget: The Genealogists' Home Bookshelf
    • So Many Ancestors, So Little Time: Preparing for a Genealogy Research Trip
    • Strolling Through the Park: Revealing Ancestors in the Cemetery
    • Somewhere in Time: Using Timelines to Put Families in Context
    • Getting the Right Genealogical Date
    • The Last Vital Event: Finding Even More Beyond the Death Certificate
    • An Orderly Life: Using Directories
      Special Topics
    • United We Stand: Using Civil War Pension Records
    • What's a Homesteader? US and Canadian Homestead Records
    • Well, They Didn't SWIM Over! Using Passenger List Records
    • Talking With Grandma: Interviewing the Living for Leads to the Past
    • Little Houses on the Prairie: Midwestern Research Techniques
    • The Quakers are Our Friends
    • Here Comes the Family: Preparing for the Reunion
    • The Importance of Belonging: The Role of Genealogical Societies in Your Research Plan
    • Who Needs Genealogical Conferences? Everyone!
    • Genealogy is a Journey of Discovery: Start It Right and Keep It Right (full-day seminar)
      Professional Development
    • Keep the Message Consistent: Deliver from Proposal to Syllabus to Presentation
    • The Story of John Doe: Case Studies As Teaching Tools
    • Something for Everyone! Or Not? Establishing the Right Presentation Mix

  • Can provide computer and projector, if needed
    Request sponsor provide appropriate size screen for audience
    Request Lavaliere microphone (for groups over 20)
    No home housing
    Will develop new lectures if requested. Although lectures shown are 1-hour (with question period), many can be developed into part of a longer group of lectures for workshops.

    Available for virtual presentations.

  • Samples of major speaking engagements include:

    • Greater Omaha Genealogical Society Seminar
    • Oklahoma Genealogical Society Seminar
    • National Genealogical Society Conference in the States, Raleigh
    • Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference, Orlando, Boston, Fort Wayne, Philadelphia, Little Rock
    • Lake County (Ohio) Library Lock-In
    • RootsMagic Cruises - several to Caribbean and Mexico
    • Florida State Genealogical Society Conference
    • West Virginia Palatines to America
    • Ohio Genealogical Society Conferences
    • Fairfax (VA) Fall Workshop
    • Various Family History Centers, MI and OH, 2000-2011
    • Cleveland Computer Assisted Genealogy Group
    • FlyAway Genealogy at Sea
    • Bessemer Historical Society (Pueblo, Colorado)
    • Clayton Genealogical Research Center, Houston (TX) Public Library
    • Nebraska Genealogical Society
    • Minnesota Genealogical Society NorthStar Conference
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