I'm posing this question on the Cook list in the hope that someone can point me in the right direction. My grand-uncle was nine years old when this situation in our tree occurred and his recollection of the events has remained consistent over the years. I need to prove or disprove the story soon because Uncle Fran is 83 years old. My 2nd great-grandfather Peter Thompson was born in Norway in January 1857 and immigrated to Chicago before 1880. According to Uncle Fran, Peter returned to Norway to help his father repair damage caused to his ship(s) by pirates. Peter overstayed his Visa and was delayed at Ellis Island in 1938. He contracted pneumonia and died in the infirmary there. Peter had some money with him which was sent to his adult children by the Ellis Island officials. Uncle Fran remembers that it was a small amount (less than $300) but was huge at the time as the Depression had just loosened its hold on this family. None of the children could afford to make the trip to New York and it is presumed Peter was buried in a pauper's grave. I have written to Ellis Island twice and received no response. I realize I have a common name and vague dates, but wouldn't there be a list of deaths that occurred on the island or something I could use to work toward solving this mystery? ANY help would be GREATLY appreciated. Speaking of relatives, Laura PS: Are we related? Find out at http://where2look4ancestors.com/