Stories From Ellis Island
Fred Voss

Did you have relatives who came through Ellis Island? Did the inspectors detain them? Were they treated at the island's hospitals? Did your family names get changed by the inspectors?! Fred Voss is a professional genealogist and a volunteer tour guide at Ellis Island National Park. He will give an illustrated talk about the past, present, and future of this iconic landmark as well as sharing some of his favorite immigration stories.

Mr. Voss will provide an overview of the workings of the Island—how immigrants arrived, how they were processed through the different parts of the Island, and what might mean a long stay on the Island or a return-ticket home. He will also dive into those squiggles on the manifest and how to decipher them.

Fred Voss is a professional genealogist, researcher, and educator. He is a Trustee and Education Chair for the Genealogical Society of Bergen County. His areas of interest are Germany, Switzerland, and New Hampshire, with special interest in DNA, Immigration, and Naturalization. He is a former volunteer tour guide at Ellis Island, leading both historical and photographic tours of the abandoned hospitals on the south side of the island.