Inside Graceland: Elvis' Maid Remembers (8 page)

On another occasion, my car was in the shop and my husband had driven to the mansion to get me after work. Elvis came out and started talking to him as he waited for me to get my things. Before it was all over, the two of them were out in the back yard passing a football. I ended up sitting and waiting on the two of them as they enjoyed themselves immensely for over an hour.

That’s the kind of man Elvis was. Those are the kinds of memories I will always remember.

There are always going to be a few small flaws in someone’s personality, and sometimes a little darkness can slip into their life. Given the tremendous stresses that Elvis endured, however, and the dependence he was forced to rely on with prescription medicines to keep him going, to get him up in the morning, to get him to sleep at night, to get him “up” for all the grueling performances, I have often marveled that he did as well as he did. A lesser man would have never survived as long as he did, and would have never continued to give his all to his adoring fans in the same fashion that Elvis did.

Those are the memories that I have.

Elvis talking on the telephone

Mrs. Minnie M. Presley in her bedroom

Elvis’ bed. It’s 8 feet long and 8 feet wide

Elvis in his bedroom on his couch, 1968

Nancy holding Elvis’ dog

Elvis’ Christmas tree, 1972

George Coleman, Graceland’s electrician

The ‘service truck’ used at Graceland

Uncle Vester at the front gate,
looking handsome as always

Elvis was getting ready to sit down to dinner

Elvis had just driven this motorcycle onto the back
lawn and walked up to his bedroom