In a message dated 4/30/2009 07:51:46 Eastern Standard Time, drupnorth@charter.net writes: I would like to ask if anyone knows what would happen to a body when someone died onboard an immigrant ship before they got to the U.S.? Wonderful question. I have children who were on the ships' list but didn't survive the trip. A 15 year old and later, a 2 year old. I read this online: Quote: The body of a passenger who died onboard a sailing vessel bound for the United States was normally "committed to the deep." A respectful though brief service would be intoned, followed by immediate burial at sea. There are also rare instances of corpses being preserved until the ship docked, and then being buried in a local cemetery. Therefore, it is possible to find an inscribed gravestone for a family member who died at sea in a cemetery of the port of entry. Unquote Shirley Maynard Hampton, VA **************Access 350+ FREE radio stations anytime from anywhere on the web. Get the Radio Toolbar! (http://toolbar.aol.com/aolradio/download.html?ncid=emlcntusdown00000003)