MONTREAT, N.C. — Ruth Graham retained her beauty even in death and surely "had a great reception in heaven," an ailing Billy Graham told mourners who gathered Saturday to remember his beloved wife.
"I wish you could look in that casket because she's so beautiful," said Graham, clinging to his walker. "She was a wonderful woman."
Ruth Graham died Thursday at 87 after a long illness. Her husband's closest confidante, she was remembered as a spiritual stalwart and modest mentor who provided a solid foundation — both biblically and geographically — for her globe-trotting husband.
"The Mama that we saw at home was the mama that the world saw," said their son, Franklin, now the head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
He recalled his mother's headstrong and quirky nature, telling the crowd about the time she overcame a locked bedroom door by crawling on the roof and throwing a cup of cold water through his window to wake him.
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"I thank you, Mama, for your example, for your love, for your wit, for your humor, for your craziness," he said. "I love you for all of it, and I'm going to miss you terribly."
After preaching to more than 210 million people around the world during a six-decade career, Billy Graham, 88, is largely confined to the couple's home in Montreat by several ailments, including prostate cancer and Parkinson's disease.
He wasn't expected to speak Saturday but surprised the crowd with his words, perhaps spurred by the sight of his 19 grandchildren.
"God bless all these grandchildren. Some of them I haven't seen in a long time. Some of them I've never seen," he said, drawing laughter from the audience. "Lots of love to everyone, and thank you."
He wiped a tear away a before leaving the auditorium.
Family spokesman Larry Ross said later that "the sense of loss is beginning to settle in on him."
Family members will hold a private burial ceremony today at the new Billy Graham Library in Charlotte.
Her simple coffin, adorned with flowers, was chosen after Franklin noticed inmates at the Louisiana State Penitentiary building the caskets for themselves and others who could not afford regular coffins.
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