Robert Kendall was Elvis’ funeral director of the Memphis Funeral home who arranged all the procedures for the burial of Elvis Presley. Having arranged the funeral service for Gladys Love Presley, Elvis’ mother, 19 years previously
Kendall
thought is only appropriate that Elvis should be buried in an identical $8,000 casket as his mother.
The particular model of copper lined casket also provided a two by
4-inch stainless steel cylinder for identification purposes in the event the remains,
in the future are exhumed. Such ID vials included the information on chemically treat paper that list information of the deceased. Elvis’ cylinder read:
Elvis Aaron Presley
Born
January 8, 1935
-
Died
August 16, 1977
Funeral
August 18, 1977
at
2pm
in
Graceland
Interment same day at
Forest Hills
Cemetery
(Midtown
Memphis, Tennessee)
Watch
Elvis Vigil LIVE Graceland Cam
(This information still remains in Elvis’ casket despite the fact that in November 1977 Elvis was re-buried at
Graceland upon his father’s request. As Kendall had forgotten to update the details to final resting place to read:
Graceland Meditation Gardens.)
Usually, Robert Kendall discourages family to place valuables inside the coffin for the most obvious of reasons and made that clear to Vernon Presley, however, this time against his better judgment he allowed a small token from Lisa Marie who was only
nine years old at the time.
During the first day of private viewing Lisa Marie approached
Kendall
while still holding her mother’s hand and asked, “Mister Kendall can I give this to my daddy?” With that she held out her other hand to display a thin metal bracelet.
In this case being only a child Kendall could deduce that Lisa Marie was terrified to touch her beloved father’s body.
Story
behind the Picture
Instead of taking the bracelet from Lisa Marie,
Kendall
took her hand walked her to her daddy’s bier.
Lisa Marie holding the bracelet approached the casket. She did not look at the father’s body when
Kendall
asked her to point to which wrist she wanted
Kendall
to put it on. Instead of pointing to her daddy’s wrist she pointed to her own right wrist.
Elvis
Eulogy | Elvis
Funeral
| Elvis
Exhumed
| Cause
of Death | Elvis
Service | Elvis
Autopsy
Inside
Elvis' Coffin | Gladys Presley
Funeral | Last Concert
| Elvis
Medical Report Discovery
Kendall
realised then that already in her tender innocence Lisa has an innate aversion to touching the corpse of a person she loved so very dearly. Thus it was left to Kendall who gently lifted her father’s right
forearm just enough to slip the trinket into place. Lisa Marie looked down at the floor throughout the whole procedure.
“Thank you, sir,” whispered Lisa Marie while walking hand in hand with
Kendall
until she reached her mother in the hallway.
Just before she turned to walk away, Lisa Marie questioned
Kendall
, “Will it stay there always?”
Kendall
assured her that it would be there forever.
As Lisa Marie headed for the front door, Priscilla Presley asked if
Kendall
would cover the bracelet with the shirt cuff so it couldn’t be seen. Although she did not offer any reason
Kendall
suspected that it was so that it would remain safe without temptation to be taken as a final memento.
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