Lisa Marie Presley and Benjamin Presley, 2012 | Source: Instagram.com/lisampresley
Lisa Marie Presley's sad final words before death when she was near her son's grave.
"Please wait for me, my love," Lisa Marie wrote to her son.
January 8, 2023, would've been Elvis Presley's 88th birthday. Lisa Marie Presley, his only child and daughter, chose the special day to pay tribute to her late father while at Memphis, Tennessee's Graceland.
Taking time to reflect with the company of David Kessler, her close friend, Lisa Marie, went to the Meditation Garden. Elvis and Lisa Marie's son, Benjamin Keough, was buried in the area.
The headstones for Minnie Mae Presley, Elvis Aaron Presley, Vernon Elvis Presley, and Gladys Love Smith Presley before the 10th Anniversary of Elvis' death on August 15, 1987, at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee | Source: Getty Images
Kessler shared how he and the singer sat in the garden by Benjamin's grave "mostly in silence." The musician showed her friend where she wanted to be buried one day, across from Elvis' grave.
The author befriended Lisa Marie after Benjamin died by suicide in 2020 at age 27. Kessler recalled noting how he mentioned that the songwriter wouldn't die for a long time, and she agreed, saying she still had a lot to do, with the grief expert adding:
"She was very excited about what was coming up. She had such a challenging first and second act of life, and she was about to take on this third act that was so much about helping people."
Sadly, five days later, the songwriter's life ended on January 12, 2023. Before passing, Lisa Marie made several public appearances, including her touching Graceland speech on January 8.
She also went out with her daughter, Riley Keough, to a birthday party for the late King of Rock and Roll. The event was held at Formosa Café in West Hollywood at night, and two days later, Riley's mother was at the Golden Globes.
She and her mother, Priscilla Presley, celebrated the "Elvis" cast winning the accolade for the movie. Lisa Marie suffered from cardiac arrest in her Calabasas, California, home and had to be rushed to a hospital.
On the day of her death, Lisa Marie's mother confirmed her death at 54. Speaking about her late daughter, Priscilla described her as strong, passionate, and loving, and she was survived by Riley and her twin daughters, Harper and Finley Lockwood, then 14.
On October 21, 2020, Benjamin's birthday, Lisa Marie celebrated the special day with a sweet social media post that included her son wearing a birthday hat with a lit cake in front of him. The late star urged her son to "Please wait for me, my love..."
One of the late singer's last Instagram posts before her passing was one where she invited her fans to read her People magazine essay about death and grief. Elvis's daughter mentioned in her piece how "death was part of life" and so was grieving.
She also noted how there was more to be understood and learned about the subject before sharing what people knew. The late star said we knew grief didn't go away or stop whether it was a year or years after the loss.
The essay Lisa Marie wrote about the intense mourning she was going through was ironic and almost felt like a premonition on her part. The late singer was finally going to be reunited with her son and father.
Lisa Marie Will Be Laid to Rest with Benjamin and Elvis
In 2020, a Facebook post confirmed that Benjamin was buried with other Presley family members at Graceland's Meditation Garden. Lisa Marie's son was laid to rest with his famous grandfather, Vernon, his great-grandfather; Gladys, his great-grandmother; and Minnie Mae, his great-great-grandmother.
Days after Lisa Marie's death, the Graceland website revealed that a public memorial service would be held on January 22, 2023. The event would start at 9 a.m. on Graceland's front lawn.
The back of the kitchen hosted Aunt Delta's bedroom, where the drawers held the china Lisa Marie [Presley] used.
The site urged those wishing to pay their last respects to donate to The Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation instead of sending flowers. The late singer once revealed how all the graves were lined up but that she had a spot waiting for her next to her grandmother.
Although she might be gone, Lisa Marie's family would still have lots of memories to hold on to. One of those memories included the family get-togethers that would happen at Graceland.
Lisa Marie Used China and Kitchen Appliances for Family Meals in Graceland
Angie Marchese, a Graceland archivist, once said that one of Lisa Marie's favorite things on the property was to share her memories of the place with her friends and children. She did the things she and her father once did, like seeing the horses or riding golf carts.
Marchese shared how the late singer visited Graceland often because the place was still her home. The archivist also revealed that all the kitchen appliances still worked but were turned off for safety.
When Lisa Marie and her family visited, they switched the appliances on and sometimes had dinner there. The late star used the china kept in a secret room that was not included in the tour for their meals.
The back of the kitchen hosted Elvis' late aunt Delta's bedroom, where the drawers held the china Lisa Marie used. The family would have meals for special occasions like Thanksgiving, where they sat at the dining room table with extra space for more guests.
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