Nana Ames was a popular "Gate Person", who often frequented Elvis' home at Graceland. This is what Nana shared on Facebook in July just past
Nana Ames
1 hr
WE WERE LIVING IN NASHVILLE, MY SONS DOUG AND JIM, DROVE ME TO MEMPHIS THE 17TH. VERNON OPENED THE GATES TO LET PEOPLE IN TO VIEW E'S BODY AT 3PM FOR ONE HOUR..WHEN THEY STARTED TO CLOSE THE GATES PEOPLE WERE YELLING AND CARING ON BECAUSE THE LINE HAD HARDLY MOVED AT ALL..THEY WERE JUST MASSED, CRAMMED PACKED IN NO LINE AT ALL. VERNON THEN SAID HE WOULD LEAVE THE GATES OPEN TILL 6PM THAT WAS A JOKE A MILLION PEOPLE WERE IN LINE AND THE LINE WENT ALL THE WAY IN FRONT OF GRACELAND AND HALFWAY UP VERNONS ROAD..
WE ARRIVED ABOUT 2:30PM. DOUG LET ME OUT IN FRONT OF THE GATE. CRICKET AND FRED, WE IN LINE FIRST BY THE GATE. THEY SAW ME AND CALLED ME UP WITH THEM..I STOOD THERE A FEW MINS. AND DECIDED I COULD NOT DO THIS, I COULD NOT GO IN THAT HOUSE AND SEE HIM LYING DEAD...I GOT BACK OUT OF LINE, WHAT LINE THERE WAS. I STOOD FOR A FEW MINS ON THE EDGE OF THE ROAD, AND THOUGHT IF I DON'T DO THIS I WILL REGRET IT THE REST OF MY LIFE, SO I JUST GOT BACK IN RIGHT WHERE I WAS, THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD GET BACK WITH FRED AND CRICKET...I WAS MASHED UP AGAINST SOME TALL GUYS BACK. I COULDN'T BREATH, IT WAS SO HOT, BESIDE BEING PACKED LIKE SARDINES! I HAD TO PROP MY ARM UP ON THIS GUYS BACK JUST TO TAKE A BREATH..IT WAS WHY SO MANY WERE PASSING OUT. IT WAS FROM THE HEAT, AND NO AIR TO BREATH, ESPECIALLY THE SHORTER PEOPLE.
I WALKED IN THROUGH THOSE GATES THAT I HAD OPENED AT TIMES TO LET MARY, THE COOK IN, OR NANCY THE HOUSE KEEPER. I EVEN OPENED IT ONE TIME FOR A FIRE TRUCK, THE CITY HAD NAMES ELVIS PRESLEY IN E'S HONOR..
WE WERE IN A SINGLE LINE THEN, AND FIRST IMPRESSION IT LOOKED LIKE A WAR ZONE, THE RED CROSS HAD SO MANY PEOPLE STRETCHED OUT ALL OVER THE LAWN. EVEN DOWN BY THE INSIDE OF THE STONE WALL.. CAMERAS WERE STRUNG FROM EVERY TREE, AND JUST SITTING IN THE YARD , ALL OVER THE LAWN,,SOME COPS WERE WALKING UP AND DOWN THE LINE TELLING PEOPLE CAMERAS WERE NOT ALLOWED, AND SO THEY JUST HUNG THEM, OR SAT THEM DOWN RIGHT WHERE THEY WERE.
AS I PASSED THE Y WERE THE DRIVES COMES TOGETHER, I SAW LISA WONDERING AROUND UNDER THAT BIG OLD OAK TREE THAT WAS IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE..SHE HAD ON A NAVY BLUE JUMPER DRESS A WHITE BLOUSE AND NAVY BLUE KNEE SOCKS. I TURNED TO THE GIRL BEHIND ME AND WHISPERED, I WONDER WHO IS SUPPOSE TO BE WATCHING LISA? SHE SAID WHO IS THAT? I WAS SHOCKED! I TOLD HER "YOU CAN'T LOOK AT THAT CHILD AND NOT TELL IT'S A PRESLEY? SHE SAID I WOULDN'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HIM.." THEN I WAS PISSED!! ALL THE "FANS" WHO WOULD NOT GET IN BECAUSE THIS PERSON HAD.. I ASKED HER WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE THEN? SHE SAID SHE JUST WANTED TO BE A PART OF HISTORY..
THE CLOSER I GOT TO THE STEPS THE HARDER IT WAS TO WALK.. I DID HAVE A CAMERA IN MY PURSE, SO AS I NEARED THE FRONT PORCH STEPS, I SAW RICKY STANDING THERE BESIDE ONE OF THE BENCHES I JUST HANDED IT TO HIM AND SAID I HAVE A CAMERA IN THERE, HE TOOK MY PURSE AND LAID IT ON THE BENCH..I STARTED UP THE STEPS.. THEY HAD A DEEP WINE COLOR HEAVY ROPE DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE STAIRS THAT WENT ALL THE WAY INTO THE FOYER IN A HORSESHOE SHAPE.. THERE WAS A HUGE MAN IN FRONT OF ME AND I COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING AROUND HIM..SO EVERYTHING WAS REVEALED TO ME ONE TINY STEP AT A TIME.
IT WAS LIKE I WAS FLOATING ALONG ABOVE MY BODY, I WAS SEEING ALL THIS, TAKING NOTES AS IT WERE BUT NOT FEELING ANYTHING.. THE MASSES OF PEOPLE JUST SO JAMMED PACKED AGAINST ONE ANOTHER.. EVERYONE WAS SWEATING, THERE WERE HUSHED MUMMERS, BUT NO ONE WAS REALLY TALKING.. ONLY THE BIRDS WERE SINGING, IN THE HUSH OF SUCH A HOT DAY..
THE WOODEN DOOR WERE OPENED.. I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING THE SCREEN DOORS, SO THEY MAY HAVE TAKEN THEM OFF OR THEY COULD HAVE BEEN BEHIND THE WOODEN DOORS. AS I STARTED TO STEP UP INTO THE HOUSE I SAW THE END OF THAT HUGE BRONZE COLORED COPPER CASKET. IT WAS SITTING ACROSS THE FOYER TO THE RIGHT OF THE DOORWAY. THE HEAD ANGLED TOWARD THE STAIRCASE TO UPSTAIRS..I SAW MAYBE 6 INCHES AT A TIME..
AS I GOT CLOSER I SAW THE BOTTOM PART OF THE CASKET CLOSED.. THEN I SAW A WHITE SUIT. THEN THE RIGHT HAND LAYING ACROSS A STOMACH, THOSE LONG FINGERS SO STILL. I SAW THE TCB RING.
IT WAS A THREE PIECE WHITE SUIT AND HE HAD ON A BABY BLUE SHIRT. THEN I SAW A WHITE TIE WITH TINY TCB IN SILVER ALL OVER IT. AND I SAW THE TCB NECKLACE..THE BIG MAN IN FRONT OF ME WAS CRYING, BUT I HAD NOT SEEN A FACE YET, THEN THE MAN TOOK ANOTHER STEP AND I SAW ELVIS LAYING THERE. I TOUCHED THE ROPE EVERY SO SLIGHTLY AND SOMEONE SAID DON'T TOUCH THE ROPE! MAN I HARDLY KNEW WHERE I WAS MUCH LESS WHAT I WAS DOING.
HIS HEAD WAS ALL WRONG. HIS HAIR WAS WRONG..AND HIS SIDEBURNS HAD BEEN ALMOST CUT ALL THE WAY OFF. IT LOOKED LIKE HE HAD A PERM, AND HIS HAIR WAS IN CURLY LAYERS. WITH BANGS ON HIS FOREHEAD. THE LEFT SIDE OF HIS FACE WAS JUST CAKED WITH MAKEUP, IT WAS SO EASY TO SEE. I KEPT TAKING TINY LITTLE STEPS, AS I PASSED HIS FACE AND MADE THE U TURN, I SAW PRISCILLA SITTING ON THE 3RD STEP UP STRETCHED OUT ACROSS THE WHOLE STEP.. SHE HAD ON A PLAIN WHITE DRESS WITH PUFFY SLEEVES WITH TINY TURQUOISE ARROW HEADS DECORATING THE DRESS, HE HAIR WAS CUT SHORT LIKE IN A WEDGE..SHE HAD NO EXPRESSION AT ALL.
I CIRCLED ON AROUND AND I SAW ANN MARGARET, ROGER SMITH HER HUSBAND, SAMMY DAVIS JR AND TOM JONES ALL DRESSED IN BLACK STANDING IN THE DINING ROOM AT THE FAR END. I CAME ON OUT THE DOOR TURNED RIGHT AND A RED CROSS TRUCK WAS PARKED CLOSE BY..I WALKED OVER AND ASK FOR SOME WATER, WHILE I WAS THERE LINDA THOMPSON CAME OUT OF THE LITTLE APARTMENT AUNT DELTA LIVED IN. HER BROTHER SAM WAS ON ONE SIDE AND HER DAD WAS ON THE OTHER, SHE WAS CRYING AND HAVING A HARD TIME STANDING...IT BROKE MY HEART.. HERE WAS THE WOMAN WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN SITTING AS HIS HEAD AND PRISCILLA WAS THERE..I WAS HOLDING IT TOGETHER AS BEST I COULD, AND STARTED BACK DOWN THE DRIVE..I DIDN'T GET VERY FAR WHEN I REMEMBERED MY PURSE..I WENT BACK AND GOT MY PURSE AND BY THEN LINDA WAS GONE I DON'T KNOW WHERE..I STARTED DOWN THE DRIVE AGAIN AND A WOMAN WALKING IN FRONT OF ME ALL OF A SUDDEN TOOK A NOSE DIVE RIGHT INTO THE ASPHALT DRIVE.I QUICKLY GOT TO HER AND TURNED HER OVER, THEN RAN BACK TO GET THE RED CROSS FOR HELP.I STARTED DOWN AGAIN, GOT TO THE FORK OF THE DRIVE, AND SAW A WREATH WHITE BACKGROUND AND E L V I S IN BLUE CARNATIONS..
THAT'S AS FAR AS I GOT! IT HIT ME THEN AN THERE HE WAS GONE,, THE LETTERS OF HIS NAME SAID SO,, I HAD NOT CONNECTED MENTALLY TILL THAT VERY MOMENT..I GOT BACK TO THE GATE AND CRICKET AND FRED WERE WAITING FOR ME.. I STARTED YELLING WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HIS HEAD, IT WAS NOT ONLY HIS HAIR BUT HIS HEAD WAS TO BIG..
I'M SO HOPING THIS MAKES SENSE... EVERY LITTLE THING THAT HAPPENED, WAS JUST SO BAZAAR TO ME..LIKE I WAS WALKING IN ANOTHER WORLD..SEEING, BUT NOT CONNECTING...
AND I KEPT THINKING OF THE SONG E HAD BEEN SINGING SO MANY TIMES, IN VEGAS "SOFTLY" HE WOULD SAY THE WORDS AND SHERRILL WOULD SING IN THE BACKGROUND, IT WAS LIKE HE KNEW AND WAS TELLING US..
"SOFTLY, I WILL LEAVE YOU SOFTLY" AND HE DID!! I EXPECTED HIM TO BE IN THE HOSPITAL A FEW DAYS THEN GO, WHEN THEY COULD DO NOTHING MORE FOR HIM.. BUT HE LEFT, "SOFTLY" NO ONE AROUND HIM, AND GINGER SLEEPING IN HIS BED IN THE NEXT ROOM..
GUESS I WAS PRETTY MUCH IN SHOCK, BUT THAT ONE WREATH CAME CRASHING IN ON MY WORLD.. I WAS ANGRY, THEY MESSED HIM UP, AND HE SO WANTED EVERYTHING TO BE PERFECT WHEN HE WAS WITH HIS FANS.. PERFECT.. AND HERE HIS FACE AND HAIR WAS SO MESSED UP..HE LANDED FACE DOWN IN THE SHAG CARPET ON HIS LEFT SIDE MAINLY, SO THAT SIDE OF HIS FACE WAS BLACK, THEY PUT A LOT OF MAKEUP THERE TO COVER UP THE BLACKNESS,, HIS LEFT ARM AND HAND WAS ALSO BLACK FROM THE BLOOD POOLING IN THAT AREA, THEY SOLVED THAT BY KEEP THAT HAND UNDER THE COVER, ONLY HIS RIGHT HAND WAS POSITIONED ON HIS STOMACH. BUT EVEN WITH ALL THAT, YOU KNEW IT WAS ELVIS LAYING THERE..
THE LIVING ROOM WAS FULL OF FLOWERS, OH MY I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY FLOWERS IN MY LIFE AS IT WAS AT HIS FUNERAL..
COMING IN THE GATE EVERYONE WAS ORDERLY, QUIETLY, RESPECTFUL, BUT GOING OUT WAS ANOTHER MATTER.. LOTS OF PEOPLE, MEN AND WOMEN WERE CRYING, NEEDING HELP FROM FRIENDS JUST TO WALK.. CONTROLLED CHAOS. THEY HAD THE WOODED HORSES UP THE MIDDLE OF THE DRIVE, SO THE TWO WORLDS WERE SEPARATED..
CRICKET AND FRED HAD WAITED FOR ME SITTING ON THE CURB, LIKE SO MANY NIGHTS HER AND I DID, WAITING FOR E TO COME OUT AND PLAY.. FRED WOULD BE IN OR AT THE GUARD SHACK.. WHEN I SAW THEM ALL I COULD DO WAS SCREAM, WHAT DID THEY DO TO HIS HEAD? WHAT DID THEY DO?
WELL THERE WAS THE AUTOPSY, WHICH I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT..THEY REMOVED HIS BRAIN, AND VERNON HAD ASK LARRY GELLIER, E'S HAIR DRESSER TO CUT OFF SOME OF HIS HAIR FOR THE FAMILY.. LARRY COULDN'T DO IT, SO CHARLIE HODGE DID AND HE MESSED IT UP PRETTY GOOD, EVEN TAKING OFF MOST OF HIS SIDE BURNS..LORD, THEY HAD TO FIX IT IN A WAY I NEVER SAW BEFORE., IT WAS LIKE HE HAD A PERM WITH LITTLE CURLS ALL OVER HIS HEAD, IT WAS SO SHORT, AND HE HAD BANGS ON HIS FOREHEAD,,NOT HIS STYLE AT ALL...CRICKET HAD ALREADY TALKED TO A FEW OF THE GUYS TO FIND OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED SO SHE TOLD ME THE REASON. CRICKET LIVED IN MEMPHIS, JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM GRACELAND..
ME AND THE BOYS STAYED WITH HER THAT NIGHT, SLEEPING ON THE CARPET..JUST THANK GOODNESS I KNEW SOMEONE WE COULD STAY WITH..THERE WAS NO ROOMS WITHIN 100 MILES OF GRACELAND, IN ANY DIRECTION...
THE NEXT MORNING WE WERE POSITIONED IN FRONT OF THE GATE..A SATELLITE TRUCK, CNN, I THINK WAS NEXT TO US...JERRY, CRICKET'S HUSBAND, FILMED THE HEARSE COMING DOWN THE DRIVEWAY.. BUT JUST BEFORE IT LEFT GRACELAND A BIG LIMB FELL OFF A TREE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE HEARSE.. WE TOOK IT AS A SIGN, ELVIS WAS STILL THERE..
I DIDN'T GO TO THE CEMETERY WE LEFT FOR NASHVILLE AS SOON AS THE PROCESSION PASSED BY.AFTER THE BURIAL THEY GAVE PIECES OF THE WREATHS TO THE FANS... I DID GET A PIECE, FRED SAVED ME A PIECE OF THE WREATH OFF THE FRONT GATE.. THE SHRINER'S WERE HAVING A CONVENTION IN MEMPHIS AND THEY WERE THE FIRST TO PLACE A WREATH..IT DID HAVE PINK FLOWERS BUT THE COP AT THE GATE PULLED EACH FLOWER OFF AND PUT THEM UNDER HIS HAT.. I STOOD THERE AND WATCHED HIM DO THAT..
THEY WERE TAKING FROM HIM EVEN BEFORE HE WAS BURIED.
