Joe handed
Kendall
an opened velvet box in which was a thick gold ring with a black onyx stone surrounded by diamonds and arranged to spell out the initials TCB the taking Car of Business slogan which Elvis had inspired several
years earlier.
"I want you to put this on the third finger of his right hand,"
said Joe to
Kendall. Then without taking a breath added, “I want it left there until just before you close the lid. We don’t want it buried. And when you remove it I want you to return it to me as soon as you can… don’t
give it to anyone else but me, understand?”
On Sunday, October 1977 just a little after 7pm Elvis’ coffin and that of his mother’s were exhumed from the Forest Hill cemetery and transport to
Graceland
where
Kendall had arranged the burial.
The work at the
Meditation
Gardens
was done in the dead of night under a battery of bright lights which certainly presented an eerie scene for the handful of fans milling around outside the main gate. Only a handful of Elvis’ immediate family
gathered for the formal and final interment.
Vernon
remained seated at the gravesite and watched as the coffins of the two persons dearest to him in life disappeared from his view. As the vault lids were lowered in place and sealed Elvis’ father stood up and
walked toward the mansion turning to
Kendall
he said in a hoarse voice. “Elvis and his Momma are finally home”
November 11, 1977
the two massive slabs of granite
& bronze that bore
Vernon
’s personal epitaph were lowered by crane & positioned onto the two graves.
Vernon
did not witness the installation, but visited the gravesite shortly after. Less than two years after his son died on
June 22 1979, Vernon Presley passed away at the age of 65. He was buried in the grave next to his beloved son. To his left is the grave of Minnie Mae Presley, Elvis grandmother who died in 1980. To the right of
Vernon
is buried Elvis’ mother.
There remain two more burial plots. No one will say who or if anyone will occupy them. However, Lisa Marie
lyrics do indicate that she believes
Graceland’s
Meditation Garden will be her final resting
place
Elvis
Eulogy | Elvis
Funeral
| Elvis
Exhumed
| Cause
of Death | Elvis
Service | Elvis
Autopsy
Inside
Elvis' Coffin | Gladys Presley
Funeral |
Elvis Last Concert