Pamalicious
02-03-2006, 05:52 AM
Coretta King will lie in honor at Capitol
Funeral set for Tuesday; no viewing in Washington
By ADD SEYMOUR JR. , MARIA SAPORTA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/03/06
Coretta Scott King's funeral will be held at noon Tuesday at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, the family confirmed Thursday.
King's four children put some of the final touches on memorial plans that include the widow of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. lying in honor at the state Capitol on Saturday; a musical tribute at the church her husband pastored on Monday; and the funeral, which is expected to attract thousands of people.
"I'm doing best as I can under the circumstances," Martin Luther King III said Thursday as he and two of his three siblings — the Rev. Bernice King and Yolanda King — left the Willie Watkins Funeral Home in southwest Atlanta.
"All of us are."
Their mother died Monday in Mexico of complications from a major stroke she suffered last year and ovarian cancer. The terminally ill 78-year-old civil rights figure was in Mexico seeking treatment.
The upcoming memorial plans do not include a viewing in Washington, which the funeral home had anticipated.
The family released the following details:
• On Saturday, King's body will lie in honor from noon until 8 p.m. in the rotunda of the state Capitol at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Washington Street in downtown Atlanta.
• Her body will be available for viewing Monday at historic Ebenezer Baptist Church from 10 a.m. until midnight. The church is at 520 Auburn Ave. N.E. next to the King Center, which Coretta Scott King founded in 1968 to continue her husband's teachings of nonviolence. King was a member of historic Ebenezer, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. co-pastored before he was assassinated. It is also the church where his funeral was held.
• Also Monday, from noon to 1 p.m., there will be a memorial musical celebration at the Ebenezer Baptist Church Horizon Sanctuary, which is across the street from historic Ebenezer on Auburn Avenue.
• There will be another viewing from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, 6400 Woodrow Road in Lithonia. Her funeral service will be from noon until 3 p.m. Burial details were not available.
The church is pastored by Bishop Eddie Long. Family spokesman Chris Garrett said details were being worked out on who would be speaking at the service.
New Birth is Atlanta's largest black church, with a seating capacity of 10,000. The Rev. Bernice King, the youngest of the King siblings, is an elder at the church. Long made a private jet available to the family to travel to California to bring their mother back to Atlanta on Wednesday. Her body was on a second plane that followed the family back to the city.
The funeral is expected to attract leading politicians, entertainers and business people. Willie Watkins, director of the funeral home, said his facility has received many calls from the music industry, including from singer Stevie Wonder, expressing an interest in coming.
In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to Antioch College for the Coretta Scott King Scholarship Fund, 795 Livermore St., Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387.
Staff writer Bob Kemper contributed to this article.
Funeral set for Tuesday; no viewing in Washington
By ADD SEYMOUR JR. , MARIA SAPORTA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/03/06
Coretta Scott King's funeral will be held at noon Tuesday at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, the family confirmed Thursday.
King's four children put some of the final touches on memorial plans that include the widow of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. lying in honor at the state Capitol on Saturday; a musical tribute at the church her husband pastored on Monday; and the funeral, which is expected to attract thousands of people.
"I'm doing best as I can under the circumstances," Martin Luther King III said Thursday as he and two of his three siblings — the Rev. Bernice King and Yolanda King — left the Willie Watkins Funeral Home in southwest Atlanta.
"All of us are."
Their mother died Monday in Mexico of complications from a major stroke she suffered last year and ovarian cancer. The terminally ill 78-year-old civil rights figure was in Mexico seeking treatment.
The upcoming memorial plans do not include a viewing in Washington, which the funeral home had anticipated.
The family released the following details:
• On Saturday, King's body will lie in honor from noon until 8 p.m. in the rotunda of the state Capitol at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Washington Street in downtown Atlanta.
• Her body will be available for viewing Monday at historic Ebenezer Baptist Church from 10 a.m. until midnight. The church is at 520 Auburn Ave. N.E. next to the King Center, which Coretta Scott King founded in 1968 to continue her husband's teachings of nonviolence. King was a member of historic Ebenezer, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. co-pastored before he was assassinated. It is also the church where his funeral was held.
• Also Monday, from noon to 1 p.m., there will be a memorial musical celebration at the Ebenezer Baptist Church Horizon Sanctuary, which is across the street from historic Ebenezer on Auburn Avenue.
• There will be another viewing from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, 6400 Woodrow Road in Lithonia. Her funeral service will be from noon until 3 p.m. Burial details were not available.
The church is pastored by Bishop Eddie Long. Family spokesman Chris Garrett said details were being worked out on who would be speaking at the service.
New Birth is Atlanta's largest black church, with a seating capacity of 10,000. The Rev. Bernice King, the youngest of the King siblings, is an elder at the church. Long made a private jet available to the family to travel to California to bring their mother back to Atlanta on Wednesday. Her body was on a second plane that followed the family back to the city.
The funeral is expected to attract leading politicians, entertainers and business people. Willie Watkins, director of the funeral home, said his facility has received many calls from the music industry, including from singer Stevie Wonder, expressing an interest in coming.
In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to Antioch College for the Coretta Scott King Scholarship Fund, 795 Livermore St., Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387.
Staff writer Bob Kemper contributed to this article.