Funeral honors Helms the man
RALEIGH (The News & Observer) - Jesse Helms was laid to rest Tuesday in a simple, dignified ceremony that emphasized the man rather than the conservative force who became a beloved and despised household name in American politics.
A delegation from Washington -- including Vice President Dick Cheney and Cindy McCain, the wife of presumptive Republican nominee John McCain -- was among those who crowded into Hayes Barton Baptist Church to pay tribute to the former five-term senator. Helms died Friday at 86.
Most of Tuesday's service focused on Helms the patriarch -- of his family, Senate staff and colleagues -- rather than on Helms, one of Washington's most feared men.
Senators, former aides, and relatives spoke of the senator as a master of constituent service, a workaholic, an encourager of young people and a man willing to take unpopular stands.
"Over the years, anybody who passed by his office would remember him as one of the kindest people they ever knew," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said in a eulogy. "No matter who you were, he always had a gentle word and a kind smile."
The mood of the estimated 900 people in the central Raleigh church was subdued, but not somber. Helms had been out of office for more than five years, and in recent years, Helms had been in declining health and had difficulty recognizing many people. For many graying Helms supporters and staffers, it was a chance to catch up and reminisce about old political battles.
The congregation sang such favorite hymns as "Amazing Grace" and "My Faith Looks Up to Thee." Crisp state troopers were an honor guard for the flag-draped coffin, with a portrait of Helms sitting on an easel nearby. After the funeral, Helms was buried in Oakwood Cemetery.
A delegation from Washington -- including Vice President Dick Cheney and Cindy McCain, the wife of presumptive Republican nominee John McCain -- was among those who crowded into Hayes Barton Baptist Church to pay tribute to the former five-term senator. Helms died Friday at 86.
Most of Tuesday's service focused on Helms the patriarch -- of his family, Senate staff and colleagues -- rather than on Helms, one of Washington's most feared men.
Senators, former aides, and relatives spoke of the senator as a master of constituent service, a workaholic, an encourager of young people and a man willing to take unpopular stands.
"Over the years, anybody who passed by his office would remember him as one of the kindest people they ever knew," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said in a eulogy. "No matter who you were, he always had a gentle word and a kind smile."
The mood of the estimated 900 people in the central Raleigh church was subdued, but not somber. Helms had been out of office for more than five years, and in recent years, Helms had been in declining health and had difficulty recognizing many people. For many graying Helms supporters and staffers, it was a chance to catch up and reminisce about old political battles.
The congregation sang such favorite hymns as "Amazing Grace" and "My Faith Looks Up to Thee." Crisp state troopers were an honor guard for the flag-draped coffin, with a portrait of Helms sitting on an easel nearby. After the funeral, Helms was buried in Oakwood Cemetery.
posted by BP News Bureau | 10:06 AM
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