The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-04-02
Broadcast of Last
Rites Next Week Is
Planned by Chains
Continued from page one)

~oo
cept to give his widow q m last
glimpse at the man everyone cherish
ed. But 1t vas doubtful whether Mrs.
Rockne would care to see Rock
again under the circumstances Of
mutilation and death. She, like all
Of Rocks boys, wanted to remember
him as he was when last she saw him
joking and laughing.
Escorted by guards of honor, the
body of the famous Notre Dame foot
ball coach was returned 20 South
Bend Wednesday night at 11:08
o'clock, but how vastly different was
the Homecoming from those Of the
past. The same thousands jammed
the railroad stations both here and
in Chicago as they did Just four short
months ago when he led his football
legions back from their glorious in
vasion of the west, but the same thou
sands were silent, awed and hushed
Is the casket was trucked quickly to
q waiting hearse and taken slowly
through the massed throng to the
McGann undertaking parlor. where
it will rest until the funeral.
Funeral Still Indefinite
Even Thursday, pending Mrs.
Rockne,s planned arrival at 6 p. m.
from Florida where she recitsyed word
OF her famous husbands sudden
death, funeral pans were indefinite.
It was the general belief the funeral
would be held Monday or Wednesday
from Sacred Heart church on the
Notre Dame campus. where Rockne
worshipped and where he was bap-
TIED six years ago.
En- route Wednesday night, Mrs.
Rockne was reported to have men
toned the funeral Saturday" but q
special dispensation from the bishop
Of the Fort Wayne diocese would be
necessary because of Holy Week.
Everything waited Mrs. Rockne's
wishes. She bore up well under the
strain of her grief and was expected
to reach a quick decision upon her ar
rival as to when the burial services
are to be held and where the body is
to be inferred, which will be either at
Sacred Heart cemetery Just off the
Notre Dame campus or In q Chicago
cemetery.
It was unlikely, however, that bur-
ial will be made in Chicago as Mrs.
Rockne has minated to friends that
Rock" always said that when he did
die that he wanted to be buried as
close to Notre Dame as possible.
Meanwhile Notre Dame and South
Bend paid silent respect. Flags were
st half mast as they will be until
after the funeral. Business was more
or less at a standstil and most Of the
students, advised that they couldn't
see the face Of the great master of
football again, had departed for
their homes for the Easter holidays.
In their wake, hundreds Of not
ables of the sport world headed to-
ward South Bend to attend the fun
eral. Not least among them were
almost every football player Rock"
had trained. who were able to come.
The -Four Horsemen" Of 1924 were to
be at the funeral in a body.
To Be One OF Largest
The funeral, although simple,
promised to be one OF the largest in
American history. Virtually every
prominent football coAch and ath-
etic leader in college life planned to
be present.
Flowers, the first Of which was q
beautiful blanket of lilies from the
Notre Dame club Of Chicago, were
ordered In great profusion. Rockne,3
houAoo~o}n0 Th,,re1ov nioht Sn fvh{-
cago and South Bend, sad as it was,
was as sincere and impressive as any
he received when he was active and
at the helm of his fighting Irish."
The two Rockne children, who
journeyed with the cortege. Knute Jr,
II, and William, II, were Immediately
taken to one Of Notre Dame dormi-
tories to spend the night. Both
seemed sad enough, but like children,
were unable to understand just what
It all meant.
A steady stream Of kilograms, tele-
phone calls and letters Of coincidence
still came in Thursday from all parts
Of the nation and world for the man
Rockne, who was home" again.
After Rockne's body had been
placed In the funeral home. q shabby
kid started to cry a he gazed into
the windows.
Jaw. don't cry" his playmate said.
II know, but wasn't he one great guy.
why he used to speak even to me-"
That was how South Bend felt
about Knute Rockne.
CONSIDERING NEW POST