To: onyx
I have Time Warner cable tv's latest digital box. It lets you record programs on two channels simultaneously. So I recorded Fox and CNN yesterday. Jayne Wyman was there, standing off to the side with a military escort as Mrs. Reagan came in. She didn't sit with the family group for the brief service. She was dressed all in black, and looked frail.
There was an awkward moment when the minister had finished and the family group sat there almost seeming not to know what to do. After a couple of minutes, Patti asked her mother if she wanted to go up to the casket. So she and Nancy stood up, followed a heartbeat later by Ron. They went up to the casket first, followed in a few moments by Michael and his family.
They gathered around the casket, which is when those touching moments occurred with Nancy putting her cheek to the casket. The minister came over and put his arm around Mrs. Reagan, and she turned to him and said, "I can't believe it." (Amazing, isn't it, that one is NEVER really prepared for the death of a loved one, no matter how long they may have lingered with an illness.)
The two sons briefly stood at either end of the casket with their hands on it. Then Mrs. Reagan turned to her daughter, clearly in tears, and it seemed like she said, "Can we go now?" Or something close to that. (She seemed exhausted, and I had the feeling she didn't want people to see her break down.)
Shortly after that Mrs. Reagan's army escort (who I think was a major general, although I couldn't quite catch his full rank ensignia) gave her his arm, and she and her kids filed out, followed by the pall bearers and Maureen's widower and his fiance. Michael and his family stayed behind for awhile. They moved to the head of the casket with their hands on the field of stars.
His children appear to be teenagers. (But the boy's head is completely shaved, which I thought odd.) Michael spent some time talking to his daughter, seeming to be explaining something. Michael's son looked particularly devastated. Then they left, because they had to rejoin the motorcade.
Hope this little report gives you a full picture of what happened. :-)
57 posted on 06/08/2004 3:58:52 PM PDT by Wolfstar (He slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God. Thank you President Reagan.)
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Thanks for this detailed account. I am curious about whether Jane Wyman was actually there, however. According to the PRESS-ENTERPRISE:
"Oscar-winning Actress Jane Wyman, Ronald Reagan's first wife, remained inside her Rancho Mirage Country Club home Monday...Michael Reagan has been keeping in touch with his mother by phone over the last few days..."
Just passing on FYI...
The article mentioned that it was hard for Jane to see Maureen in the TV news clips.
The DESERT SUN added the information that Wyman has spoken to Nancy numerous times about Alzheimer's over the last few years.