Elvis Presley was born January 8th, 1935 in a small house his father built in Tupelo, Mississippi. Elvis was a twin, but sadly his brother Jesse was stillborn. His parents, Vernon and Gladys, were completely devoted to their only child, and he was very close to them throughout childhood and beyond. He was especially close to his mother, who was very protective of him even into adulthood.

,In school, Elvis received mostly average grades and didn't excel in music class. He discovered his love of music at the church where his family attended, and when he received his first guitar as a birthday present, the naturally-shy boy started to enjoy playing and singing for others. When he graduated from high school in 1953, he was already convinced that music was his calling, and so later that summer introduced himself at Sun Records recording studio in Memphis. This was a move that would prove to launch his career.

Elvis's big break was perhaps his debut performance on "Louisiana Hayride", which was at the time the Grand Ole Opry's competitor. It was the fall of 1954 and Elvis rode the Hayride into interstate success. In 1955, with the help of his new manager, "Colonel" Tom Parker, 20-year-old Elvis Presley was signed to RCA Victor.

1956 was the year Elvis Presley became a household name. RCA promoted their newest star to no ends. With hit after hit, including "Heartbreak Hotel," "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Hound Dog," there was no stopping his rise to fame.

It didn't take long for Elvis' signature "gyrating" performances to cause some controversy, as it would throw his audience (mostly love-sick teenage girls) into hysterics. For a while he was unwelcome on several TV entertainment shows, and was even labeled as "unfit for family viewing" by none other than Ed Sullivan. Elvis, of course, couldn't have disagreed more, and kept doing his thing.

Transcending the music scene while still releasing hits under RCA, Elvis went on to star in major movie roles in the '50s, including Love Me Tender and Jailhouse Rock. In 1957, he bought his iconic Memphis mansion, Graceland, and asked his beloved parents to live there with him.

Not long after her son joined the Army in 1958, Elvis's mother Gladys fell ill with hepatitis. She passed away two days after he was granted leave to be with her, and he was shattered. Perhaps what brought him consolation was the sparks he experienced upon meeting a young fan, Priscilla Beaulieu, while subsequently stationed in Germany.

After dating for over seven years (Priscilla being ten years his junior), she and Elvis were married in Las Vegas on May 1, 1967. Their daughter, Lisa Marie, was born exactly nine months later. During this time, Elvis's career began to suffer as the songs he released under RCA began to be described as lackluster. Now a new husband and father, he thought the better part of his career was over.

But that wasn't the case. In 1968, NBC aired "The '68 Comeback Special" to national acclaim, launching Elvis Presley back into the spotlight.

By 1972, the Presley's marriage was on the rocks. Both Elvis and Priscilla were unfaithful and hardly even lived together anymore. In 1973, they were divorced.

Over the next several years, Elvis turned more and more to drugs to get him through his performances. He became a shadow of his former self, falling so much out of shape that that even his vocals began to suffer. On August 16th, 1977, he was found unresponsive, taken to the hospital and declared dead.

Elvis had a public viewing at Graceland on August 17th, which countless mourners, many of them openly weeping, attended. The next day his funeral was held at Graceland, and his body subsequently transported to its original burial site at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis. When his grave and the grave of his mother were disturbed some months later, both were moved to the grounds of Graceland, where they remain to this day.

Elvis Presley's life was one of fame, fortune, and deep intrigue...and his death of mystery and even controversy. If you'd like to learn more about the "King of Rock 'n' Roll," his life and death, here are a few links that may interest you:

https://www.graceland.com/mansion

www.biography.com/musician/elvis-presley

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/a26721749/elvis-presley-death-true-story/

I hope you enjoyed the reading! Stay tuned for more of our "Famous Graves" series in the near future.

-Aubrey

In last week's blog, Eulogies by Aubrey featured four uplifting songs to help those who are grieving during the holiday season. This week, we'll be sharing 10 more beautiful songs with that same goal in mind. Most of the tracks featured include lyrics, and all of them are soothing to the soul.

We've picked each of these songs with a) the joy of the Christmas season in mind, and b) with the goal of providing you a little bit of comfort as you continue your grief journey throughout the hustle and bustle of the season. In no particular order, here the songs (see below for audio/video):

1. What Child Is This by Lindsey Stirling
2. O Holy Night by Celine Dion
3. The Lord's Prayer by Andrea Bocelli
4. Thankful by Josh Groban
5. Here With Us by Joy Williams
6. The Scar by Blue October
7. Christmas Canon by Trans Siberian Orchestra
8. One Silent Night by Jaci Velasquez
9. Away In a Manger by Pentatonix
10. The Water Is Wide by Niamh Parsons

Thank you for listening. We would LOVE to know your favorite Christmas songs, or songs that bring you comfort in general. Please share them with us in a comment below.

If you liked what you heard above and would like to discover more beautiful tunes, my friends over at US Urns Online have compiled a master selection of sympathy songs right here for your listening pleasure.

-Aubrey

Thanksgiving is officially over and the rush of the holiday season is upon us. As many of us scramble to get all of our Christmas shopping done, plan for parties and other festivities, and celebrate the joy of the season, there are some who are unable to experience that joy.
 
Someone you know may be experiencing a deep loss this holiday season. Or maybe that someone is you. Maybe this will be the first Christmas without your loved one by your side, and you’re not quite sure how to keep your spirits up.
 
Because in the midst of all the hustle and bustle going on around you, you are wondering deep down inside, “How can the world just keep revolving like this?”

In response, today we’d like to offer you some encouragement, in the form of Scripture and uplifting songs, to help you get through this holiday season…and it’s perfectly okay if this year, all you manage to do is get through it.

The Bible is filled with words of comfort, just for you, as you process your loss this holiday season. Here are just a few verses that we pray will bless you as you read them:

It is God Who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect.  Psalm 18:32

The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him.  Psalm 28:7

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; do not forsake the works of Your hands.  Psalm 138:8

But those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.  Isaiah 40:31

I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.  Philippians 4:13

Music can speak where words can't.

For additional encouragement, check out Eulogies by Aubrey's Pinterest board, When the Holidays Are Hard. There you'll find inspirational images, quotes, Bible verses, and more to further support you throughout your walk with grief. Feel free to check out all my other boards while you're there, and if you're on Pinterest, give us a follow to keep up with the latest in funeral service and grief work in general.

-Aubrey

Thanksgiving is once again just around the corner, bringing with it all the pomp and circumstance of the holiday season. This time of year, everywhere you look, you’re reminded to be thankful for everything you have… Facebook friends sharing their “30 days of thankfulness.” Your pastor reminding you of the Reason for the season. Even just driving around your town and taking notice of those who are less fortunate than you can really cause you to take pause in a moment of sincere gratitude.
 
No one is arguing that this isn’t a wonderful reminder, of course. It’s a great thing to take a step back and examine all the good stuff going on in your life, at least every once in a while… caring family and friends, a secure job, a loving church family, or even just the fact that you have a roof over your head and food on the table. Being thankful has actually been scientifically proven to boost levels of happiness: https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier

But when you are grieving the loss of someone who’s recently passed (or maybe it wasn’t so recent), this annual reminder to give thanks for all you have can seem almost like an insult. Who is anyone to compel you into such feelings of thankfulness when you are in the midst of grieving? How can you even try to fathom this feeling of thankfulness when you are wrapped in feelings of sorrow and despair?
 
The more I think about it, the more I think that the reason it seems so impossible to do, is because grief is quite the opposite of thanksgiving.
 
No, I’m not saying that if you’re grieving it means you aren’t thankful. I’m saying that maybe it’s very difficult to be thankful for what you have now, when you are focused so much on what you no longer have (the person who’s passed away). I’m saying that maybe, just maybe, practicing thankfulness for what was, instead of what is (that is, the loss you are currently feeling), can help your mind turn its focus from the good that has been taken away from you, and refocus onto the fact that you once had that good. All the good times - all the good memories - you had with this person who was (and will always be) so very much loved. Does this make sense?

If you’re bereaved and struggling to find an attitude of gratitude this Thanksgiving, you are not alone. Don’t try to fight your feelings, just accept them and accept yourself for feeling them. After all, you wouldn’t be grieving if you’d never loved the person who has passed, and if they’d never loved you in return… as C.S. Lewis once said, “The pain I feel now is the happiness I had before. That’s the deal.”
 
So if all you can be thankful for this Thanksgiving is the memories, be thankful for that. Don’t try to fight your grief. It’s real, it’s the consequence of love, and you are allowed to take as much time as you need to sort through it.
 
-Aubrey

When you’re grieving the loss of a loved one who has just passed away, they and the impact they had on your life are all you can think about. All the precious memories, happy times, not-so-happy times, and everything else comes flooding back out of your memory bank and into your heart, leaving you little else room to think and sometimes even breath. When you’re tasked with giving the eulogy at their funeral, on top of that, life can be a little complicated for a few days… Now you’ve got to somehow take all those memories, climb up out of your personal emotions surrounding them, and write something coherent enough that can be understood and cherished by all those who will be attending the funeral.

Needless to say, it can be a daunting job. But as with so much else hard (but worth doing) in life, all you have to do is start.

You see, as you begin get your thoughts together on paper, one by one, the stories and memories you really want to share begin to paint the picture of the relationship you had with your loved one. You begin to really think about the flow of your speech, because you’ll want it to sound consistent and articulate to your listeners.
 
When you’re writing, sometimes it can really help to see an example. Eulogies by Aubrey has three right here on our website for you to look over and consider.

If you find that you’re really struggling with your thoughts and feel that you could use some extra guidance, check out our free eulogy template right here. It’s a great tool to have if you’re having trouble getting your thoughts in the right order, because it provides you with a structure for your eulogy while still allowing for complete personalization. If you need help filling it out or have any other questions or concerns, just send us a message here and we will be happy to assist you.
 
And of course Eulogies by Aubrey is always on standby ready to write your eulogy for you, should you decide that you would benefit most from our professional service. We have created a simple question-and-answer platform in which you can quickly and easily provide the information needed for us to create a 100% custom eulogy written in you own voice and style. We are honored to be of service.
 
-Aubrey

“If a man can bridge the gap between life and death, if he can live on after he’s dead, then maybe he was a great man.” -James Dean
 
James Dean was a Hollywood actor, professional car racer, and undisputed icon of 1950s America. He was a teen heartthrob in his own right and a star whose name and image, to this day, represents coming-of-age angst and frustration. Though he lived only 24 years, the impact he had on his contemporaries, and pop culture as a whole, continues on.

EARLY LIFE, EDUCATION and CAREER
James Byron Dean was born February 8th, 1931 in Marion, Indiana, in the apartment where his parents lived. His father Winton came from a farming background, but dreamed of pursuing a career in dentistry, and so moved his wife and son to Santa Monica, California. As a young child, Dean was very close to his mother, Mildred, but when he was only 9 years old, the family lost her to cancer.
 
After Mildred’s death, Winton was not able to properly care for his son and sent Dean back to Indiana to live with an aunt and uncle. After graduating from high school there in 1949, he moved back to California to live once again with his father and new stepmother.
 
He initially chose to study law at Santa Monica College, but against his father’s wishes, changed his mind and enrolled at UCLA to study drama. His first acting “gig” was there at UCLA, when he was selected among a large pool of auditioners to play the lead role in “Macbeth.” Ultimately, James Dean did not graduate, but left college to pursue acting full-time.

As a young newcomer in Hollywood, Dean was determined but had a hard time finding good roles. He was cast as the beloved disciple in a television Easter special, and also got a few bit parts here and there. He was not one to give up, however, and enrolled at the famed Actors Studio under the guidance of legendary theater practitioner Lee Strasberg. His big break finally came in 1953, when he was cast a major role in Elia Kazan’s adaptation of John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden.”
 
If 1953 was a good year, 1955 was the year James Dean became a household name. He was cast the starring role in the much-anticipated “Rebel Without a Cause,” in which he played an emotionally-distraught teenager opposite Natalie Wood. Not wanting that role to be the cornerstone of his entire career, he took on a major role in the film “Giant,” opposite Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor.
 
Although both films were released to critical acclaim, sadly, James Dean would never see either movies’ premiere.

DEATH
Following production of “East of Eden,” Dean had decided to pursue a side career as a race car driver. He bought a couple of vehicles and entered into several races, excelling at them all. On September 30th, 1955, he was highway driving his new Porsche 550 Spyder (infamously named “Little Bastard”) to a race he was scheduled to compete in in Salinas. When a Ford turned left at a corner at an intersection just ahead of him, James Dean wasn’t able to hit the breaks in time, and a terrible collision ensued. The other driver survived, but Dean was mortally wounded, and taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was only 24. Interestingly, the junction at Highways 41 and 46 where he was killed no longer exists in its original state, but is now simply a pasture. In 2005, the location where he died was renamed the James Dean Memorial Junction.
 
His funeral was held on October 8, 1955 in his home state of Indiana, and was attended by hundreds of mourners. Thousands more paid their respects outside the Fairmount Friends Church where the service was held. He is interred at Park Cemetery in the City of Fairmount. In 1983, his original grave stone was stolen, and replaced by the one seen in this photo.

LITTLE BASTARD'S "CURSE"
It’s a pop culture rumor that the Porsche James Dean was killed in is cursed. This rumor started in 1956 when the original buyer of Dean’s totaled car put it on display and used the “curse” to draw people in to see it. In any case, whether it be due to a curse or the mighty power of suggestion, others who have since owned the car or even original components of it were said to suffer behind-the-wheel accidents. In 1959, a garage housing the car caught fire, and to this day the cause is unknown. In 1960, the car mysteriously vanished.

LASTING IMPACT
Although his life was tragically short, James Dean’s contributions to cinema and pop culture continued to impact other young stars in their rise to fame in the years and decades following his death. Elvis Presley himself thought of Dean as a role model in many ways, so much so that he modeled his own image and career in Hollywood after the late actor. “I know by heart all the dialogue of James Dean’s films. I could watch ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ a hundred times over,” he once said. When asked about comparisons of himself to Dean in the media, Presley famously replied, “I would never compare myself in any way to James Dean, because James Dean’s a genius.”
 
Other stars, including Elizabeth Taylor, were impacted greatly by Dean and his short-lived career. Taylor once stated, “He was a very intelligent young man. I loved him…if it was just the two of us, he became very introspective and told me some things that just blew my mind.” Natalie Wood, with whom Dean starred in “Rebel Without a Cause,” said in a 1974 interview, “He was very aware of the fact that he was a star. There was no escaping it. Eyes were on him.”
 
James Dean was the first actor to ever receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination.

Thank you for reading about James Dean and his famous grave! I hope you enjoyed. Return here soon for more of our Famous Graves series (I so enjoy writing them!) In the meantime, if you want to learn more about Dean’s life and death, here are some links that may be of interest to you:
 
https://www.jamesdean.com/
 
https://www.biography.com/actor/james-dean
 
https://dustyoldthing.com/james-dean-car/
 
-Aubrey

Many businesses have Resources/Help pages on their websites. The content within these pages can prove to be invaluable, and this is especially the case within the funeral industry. On our Eulogy Resources page at eulogiesbyaubrey.com, we strive to provide sincere, quality guidance for those who are grieving a pertinent loss, or who otherwise need it the most. We are updating our page continuously, as well as checking to ensure that links are still viable. Feel free to let us know if you have a link or website that would be of help to our site visitors! We are happy to share it.

To see the rest of our Eulogy Resources page, click here. For a more in-depth list of helpful resources, please see our blog post "Helpful Resources for Those Dealing with Loss."

-Aubrey

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How much do you charge for a eulogy, and are there any additional fees?
 
Eulogies by Aubrey charges a one-time fee of $125 for an approximately 1000-word eulogy. There are no additional fees and any revisions you require are included in this charge.

How long will it take for me to speak my eulogy?
 
Your finished eulogy will contain approximately 1000 words and should generally take between six and eight minutes to deliver. If you would prefer a longer or shorter eulogy, please let us know.

How long will it take for you to finish my eulogy?
 
We will work to complete your order and have it sent back to you within 24 hours. If you need it sooner or within a certain time frame, please let us know.

How will you get my completed eulogy to me?
 
We will send your eulogy to the email address that you provide us on the order form. We will send it as a message and also as an attachment so that you may print/correct/utilize it how you wish. If you do not receive your eulogy within 24 hours, please check your spam folder. It will be sent from eulogiesbyaubrey@gmail.com.

 Can I see one of your writing samples?

Yes. Click here to be taken to our Eulogy Examples page.

I have suffered the loss of a child. Are you still able to help?

Yes. Please note that the form on our Order page is generally for adult loss. If you have suffered miscarriage, infant or child loss, please let us know in a message here. We have a special eulogy order form for you that we will send to you.

I recently lost my pet and plan to hold a service in their memory. Would you be willing to write a eulogy for them?
 
We would be honored. Our pets are our family and losing any one of them would be the same as losing a family member. Let us know in a message here, and we will send you a separate order form.

I am not able to pay your fee right now, but I still need help with a eulogy. What can I do?

We are very aware that not everyone has the means to hire a professional writer to assist them with their eulogy, or even family or friends who are able to help. But we believe that every loved one who has passed on deserves a quality eulogy. So we offer anyone who needs it a free eulogy template. Click here for more information. If you have questions or are in need of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

All of these questions and more can be found on our FAQ page right here. Feel free to send us a message if you have any further questions or concerns.

-Aubrey

In today’s post, I want to share with you something the Lord pointed out to me this week during my quiet time with Him.
 
Working in funeral service and death care, it’s very easy to get caught up in aspects of dying. It’s only natural to ponder these kinds of things when you’re constantly thinking about it at work. Because well, that’s what you do when it’s your job. But even when you are just writing about it, there comes a point when you have to pull yourself away from the work and refocus yourself. As Christians, death is not where we’re supposed to be mentally and emotionally. We’re supposed to be focused on life and bringing others to eternal life in Christ.
 
October is upon us once again. The leaves are beginning to change colors and fall from their branches. Squirrels are hunting for acorns to store up for the coming winter. The air is becoming more and more crisp, and there’s an unmistakably different feel to it…almost as if you can feel the process of the equinox. As beautiful as this time of the year is, I’m always in tune to the fact that it all represents the dying process. That inevitable evolution away from life - warmth, green everywhere, flowers, birds singing, eggs and cocoons- and into death - a chill in the air, dryness and decay, darkness, stillness and silence.

Most people say, “This time of year is so beautiful! Look at all the stunning colors! Pumpkin spice! Sweater weather! Cozy evenings by the fire! Yay!” Quotes abound to honor the season… “Autumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower.” (Albert Camus) That’s one of my favorites, actually ;) Don’t get me wrong, I am definitely one of those people who loves all of this! Fall is my favorite season, and I love all the coziness, creature comforts and family time that come with it. But the fact that everything is fading away, dying really, is always in the back of my mind. It can bother me if I think too much about it. Can you relate?
 
When it gets cold outside and the sun does not shine as long during the day as it does in summertime, it can have a real effect on people. Many people begin to suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) about this time of year. It lasts on through winter and only begins to subside when spring breaks through. Maybe this is you. Maybe the anniversary of a pertinent loss is coming up, and this time of year you are always reminded of it. Maybe the death of a loved one is currently imminent, so the reality of it is very raw for you right now. Even if you’re simply struggling to see the beauty of life in the falling of the leaves, keep reading.
 
This week, God reminded me that even in fall - even in the midst of death - there is life.
 
In my meditation I was telling Him about what I just told you, how I love that He's blessed us with the beauty of fall and all the fun times and memory-making that comes with it. I told Him I loved it, but that it reminded me of death and dying, too. I told Him how it bothered me. I was visualizing a beautiful autumn wood as I was talking to Him and sharing my concerns. He guided my vision upwards toward a giant, golden tree. Leaves falling everywhere in a beautiful rain all around us, He told me (this is my interpretation): “The leaves on this tree may be dead and falling. But the tree itself is not dead, it’s very much alive. It has been alive longer than you can even comprehend. It’s roots run deep and it knows that in just a short time, life will spring forth from its branches once again.”
 
The tree itself is not dead.

Comfort swept over me as I processed what this meant. Yes, death is inevitable, just as is fall. We grow old, we may face a terminal illness, we experience the unexpected loss of family and friends. These earthly bodies will pass away, just as the leaves dry up and pass away from their tree. But the tree itself is not dead. As Christians, our bodies may be dead, but our souls remain very much alive thanks to the eternal life we have only in the eternal blood of Jesus. Because of Him, death has lost its sting. And one day, it will truly be no more! What a promise we have to look forward to.
 
I hope this realization blesses you as much as it has me. As you watch the colors change and the leaves fall away from their branches, I hope you see with new eyes the true beauty and message it has to share.
 
“Oh, the sweet life of a Christian that hath made peace with God! He is fit for all conditions: for life, for death, for everything.”  Richard Sibbs
 
-Aubrey

EARLY YEARS
Jimi Hendrix was born Johnny Allen Hendrix in Seattle in 1942, and endured an unstable childhood. His family lived in poverty. His parents drank regularly and they struggled to properly care for their children; several of his siblings were sent to foster homes, and Jimi himself often stayed with his grandmother. When he was only 9, his parents divorced, and he went to live with his father.
 
Inspired to learn guitar by the famous musicians of his era, Jimi acquired his first instrument as a teenager. It was an acoustic and he loved it, but he soon realized that he would need an electric guitar if he was going to truly be heard while jamming with his friends on stage. The next year, his father bought him his first electric guitar, and the rest is history.
 
Jimi joined the Army in 1961, completed training as a paratrooper and was honorably discharged by 1963. After coming home, he began to pursue his interest in music full-force, and was eventually noticed and appreciated by Chas Chandler of The Animals fame. Chas helped him start up “The Jimi Hendrix Experience,” a band created with the purpose of promoting Jimi and his extraordinary talent on the guitar. The “Experience” helped to launch Jimi into worldwide fame, as more people came to recognize and remember his unique style of playing.

WOODSTOCK
By 1969, the “Experience” had run it’s course. But Jimi Hendrix showed no signs of stopping. He was scheduled to headline a show at the much-anticipated Woodstock festival in New York in August of that year. One of the songs he played was his own version of the Star-Spangled Banner. With added technique to mimic the sounds of the Vietnam War, it proved to be the performance of a lifetime.

DRUG USE AND DEATH
Jimi had experimented with drugs for most of his adult life. But he wasn’t able to handle himself when his abuse of drugs was mixed with his penchant for alcohol. He was know to behave eradically and was especially prone to violence during these times. On September 18th, 1970, Jimi Hendrix died of barbiturate overdose while staying at Samarkand Hotel in London. It’s worth noting that the days and hours leading up to his death are disputed.
 
Jimi Hendrix was 27 years old when he died. 2020 will mark the 50th anniversary of his passing.

FINAL RESTING PLACE
Jimi was buried at Greenwood Memorial Park in his home state of Washington, where his mother is also interred. In 2002, his body was exhumed from its simple grave and re-interred under a cenotaph befitting of his legacy. Every year, thousands upon thousands of people visit his famous grave to pay their respects.

Want to learn more about guitar legend Jimi Hendrix and his burial site? Here are a few links that may be of interest:
 
https://www.jimihendrix.com/biography/
 
https://www.biography.com/musician/jimi-hendrix

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/17559
 
-Aubrey