Reverend Billy Graham Dies at Age 99
Primary Source: The Washington Post
Evangelist Rev. Billy Graham died of natural causes on Wednesday, February 21st, in Montreat, North Carolina. He was 99 years old. According to an announcement from House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel, Graham will lie in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda from Wednesday, February 28th until Thursday, March 1st. Member of the public are invited to pay their respects.
Grahams body was moved from his home in Montreat to a funeral home in Asheville, North Carolina. On Saturday, there will be a three-hour processional from the Billy Graham Training Center in Asheville to the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte. A private funeral will be held on Friday, March 2nd at noon in Charlotte. Invitations to the funeral, which is scheduled to include 2,300 people, were extended to both President Trump and former presidents.
In his century of life, Graham became both an icon and an entrepreneur. A life-long pastor, he was the personal friend to several United States presidents, preaching to millions of people both in person and through the radio and television. His influence on world leaders, especially in the 1950s and 1960s, is undeniable.
In 1990, Graham was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease-like symptoms. He personally approved the planning and details of his funeral, selecting some of his favorite hymns. Following the funeral, he is to be buried beside Ruth Graham in a prayer garden at the library.
Graham knew all eleven U.S. presidents from Harry Truman to George W. Bush and had a close relationship with Queen Elizabeth II. He was very close to Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush.