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Elvis Presley Funeral Cortège - Elvis Funeral Service Memphis
49 White Limousines were used for Elvis Funeral Procession
Elvis Aron Presley Born 8 January 1935 Tupelo, Mississippi
Elvis died 16 August 1977, in Graceland Memphis Tennessee. He
was 42 years old
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The press reported that
the American Dream died
with Elvis.
There is no
doubt that with Elvis'
death rock n roll music
died and the world would
never be the same again.
Joe Esposito was
pallbearer at Elvis'
funeral with Charlie
Hodge, Billy Smith, and Lamar
Fike.
Elvis' body lay
in state at Graceland
that the Presley
family could pay
their respect in private
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?”
Elvis Presley Funeral Cortège Thursday 18 August 1977
49 White Limousines for Elvis Funeral Procession
Because of the bizarre
"break in" to steal Elvis
body, Vernon Presley
(Elvis' father) decided it
would be safer to have
Elvis buried at Graceland.
After being granted
special Memphis County
Court Permission on
Sunday, October 1977 just 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
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.
Story Behind the National
Enquirer Coffin Picture
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
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