T O P I C S

1. Baltimore: The Golden Door for Immigrants by Debra Hoffman
   Baltimore was a major entry point for immigrants to America. Learn about its history and the sources available to document individuals who arrived through this port.

    

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2. The Dead and the Dying: Cemeteries, Funeral Homes, & Obituaries by Rebecca Whitman Koford
   Get into the spirit of cemetery research by introducing a few superstitions that motivated our ancestors’ understanding of death and the afterlife.
   Next we discuss records of death outside of traditional death certificates, funeral home records, and touch on the importance of finding obituaries.
   Lastly we look at cemeteries and headstone iconography and how to prepare for a visit to the cemetery.

    

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3. Are You My Grandpa?: Men of the Same Name by Rebecca Whitman Koford
   This lecture is for all of us who discover that their ancestor has a name in common with someone else in their community.
   We discuss techniques for comparing and contrasting the records of these people in order to separate our ancestors with another line.
   Case studies are included throughout the lecture with a focus on Maryland and Baltimore records.

    

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