The Darien Times

Genealogy expert speaks in Darien Saturday

Thursday, January 19, 2012 02:00 PM

The Darien Library and the Middlesex Genealogy Society are co-sponsoring a program to help aspiring family history researchers hone their skills in tracking down relatives: Letting the City Directories Work for You meets Saturday, Jan. 21, at 2.

The program will be presented by Toni McKeen, a Ridgefield resident who has been teaching genealogy classes in her hometown since 2004. In that time, McKeen has taught more than 1,600 hours worth of instruction on the topic.

Saturday, McKeen will teach about city directories, which she says are one of the most overlooked sources of historical information for families. Those who attend will learn how and where to find these directories, as well as the surprising clues they hold, and their use in finding missing census records and vital records.

McKeen has been a frequent presenter at Middlesex Genealogy Society meetings, as well as at various genealogical societies in New York, Connecticut, Boston and Long Island.