NEWS ALERT: Wife Of Billy Graham Laid To Rest In North Carolina

On Saturday, June, 16, the 2,000-seat Anderson Auditorium at the Montreat Conference Center in North Carolina was filled to capacity as mourners remembered Ruth Bell Graham, who became known as the "First Lady of Evangelism."

She passed away Thursday, surrounded by her husband and children at her mountain top home at age 87, after a lengthy illness.

Her ailing husband said his wife retained her beauty even in death and surely had "a great
reception" in heaven.

Clinging to his walker, Graham told the faithful, "I wish you could look
in that casket because she’s so beautiful. I sat there a long time last night looking at her, and I prayed, because I knew she had a great reception in heaven."

Her casket was reportedly made by a Louisiana prisoner at the request of Graham’s son Franklin, who saw the coffins on a visit to the Angola prison and was struck by their simplicity.

The coffins are made of birch plywood and lined with a foam mattress pad covered with fabric. Brass handles are on the sides, while a cross adorns the top.

CONVICTED MURDER

The convicted murder who made the caskets said he was honored when asked to make them for both Billy and Ruth Bell Graham. The prisoner, Richard Liggett, died in March from cancer and too was buried in one of his meticulously crafted coffins.

Billy Graham, 88, wasn’t expected to speak during Saturday’s funeral service, but surprised the
crowd when he stood up from his seat at the front row as the program came to a close, perhaps spurred by the sight of his 19 grandchildren serving as pallbearers or honorary pallbearers.

"God bless all these grandchildren. Some of them I haven’t seen in a long time. Some of them I’ve never seen," he was heard saying, drawing laughter.

The day began with a procession from the funeral home, where hundreds of local residents — from families with little children to the frail and elderly — lined the route to pay their respects, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) said. Some stood with hands on hearts, others, including ranks of law enforcement and fire and rescue personnel, gave crisp salutes.

MEMORIAL CHORALE

Later, in the Auditorium, a special Memorial Chorale, swelled to a total of 70 local volunteers from the 20-member Montreat College choir, which honored Graham’s memory with several musical selections.

"We gather today to say good-bye to truly a good servant, Ruth Bell Graham, but we also gather to say we believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord," said Richard White, Ruth Graham’s long-time pastor at Montreat Presbyterian Church, welcoming the attendees.

"Our hearts are heavy with loss, yet we dare rejoice, for she is with You," he prayed.

Her older sister and five children also participated in the program, recalling the spiritual strength of the mother and mentor.

"The mama that we saw at home was the mama that the world saw," said son, Franklin, head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA).

"There weren’t two Ruth Grahams. Mama, thank you for your example, your love, your wit, your humor, your craziness…," he stressed.

The Grahams’ youngest son, Ned, read a selection favored by Ruth Bell Graham from a book of Puritan prayers, while eldest daughter Virginia "Gigi" stressed one of the family’s favorite selections from her monther’s poetry.

"And when I die, I hope my soul ascends slowly, so that I may watch the earth receding out of sight, its vastness growing smaller as I rise, savoring its recession with delight."

GRAHAM RUTH

Graham’s daughter, Ruth, recalled her mother’s childhood in China as a preparation for the ministry she would have as the wife of Billy Graham and mother of their five children.

Daughter Anne spoke of her mother’s love for their father and how she taught the children to love him, despite his long absences. "She loved our Daddy, but greater was her love for God. She taught us to love our Daddy and to love Jesus."

Anne read a portion of the Bible from Romans chapter eight, prefaced by a note she found written by her mother and taped in that place in her mother’s Bible, "Perhaps today some word
will reach us that prepares us for our tomorrow," she read. "Let’s not miss that word."

Graham’s older sister Rosa Montgomery also shared family memories, bringing a chuckle to the crowd as she stated that she and Ruth were both "made in China." Rosa had spent much of the last six months with Ruth reminiscing about their happy childhood, she explained. “Weren’t we lucky to have such good parents?" she added. "If there was ever any damage done anywhere, you could be sure that Ruth was in the middle of it."

On Sunday, June 17, her human remains were on their way to their final resting place at the foot of a cross-shaped walkway in the adjacent ‘Prayer Garden’, near the Billy Graham Library in North Carolina. (With reports from North Carolina).

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