Diane Langston, who lives in Chesterfield and who has been librarian at Amelia County Elementary School for the last 31 years of her 35 years in education, has been interested in genealogy and family history since she was quite young as a result of attending many family reunions.

Her quest began in earnest when her ninth-grade English teacher made the class assignment for students to research their families. As the result of a genealogy research class in college, she joined the James Allen DAR Chapter in 1982.

Over the years, she has found herself the keeper of several family Bibles, quilts, memorabilia and many hundreds of photos and documents.

Langston became fascinated with DNA and its possible uses for genealogy in 2009. The Scottish Chieftain of the Paisley family was visiting in the U.S. at the time, and she asked him and the Family Council if she could start a Y-DNA project for the family. As a result, she became the administrator of the Paisley Family Y-DNA Project and just recently has become the administrator of the Paisley and Allied Families Autosomal DNA project.

At the William Taylor Chapter’s September meeting, Langston presented a PowerPoint program on DNA tests for genealogy. She covered what DNA is, what type of DNA is tested, what companies will provide DNA tests for genealogy and what information the DNA tests can and cannot provide.

The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the U.S.’ struggle for independence.

Local members of the William Taylor Chapter reside primarily in Brunswick, Lunenburg, and Mecklenburg counties.