By LARRY HIGGS
Asbury Park Press
WESTFIELD, N.J. -- Hours of waiting Sunday for Whitney Houston fans became seconds of watching a gold hearse pass by carrying the body of the woman with the golden voice to her final resting place.
New Jersey's own Whitney Houston had a special meaning to each of the approximately 100 people who gathered early Sunday outside the gates of the Fairview Cemetery, where later she was laid to rest next to her father in a private ceremony.
Fans started arriving for a good vantage point as early as 8 a.m. for the procession which arrived about 11:30 a.m.
The procession, escorted by police on motorcycles, included the gold hearse, two gold limos carrying family members and a line of SUVs, stretch limos and a variety of cars, most with tinted glass.
Some residents watched from their porches and yards, while others walked and jogged by. Many were taking photos.
The approach of Houston's procession was signaled by several media helicopters overhead. After it passed, three choppers hovered over an area deep in the cemetery where the burial service was held.
Houston, 48, died Feb. 11 in California of yet-to-be determined causes.
The burial procession came from the Newark, N.J., funeral home where Houston's body remained after a funeral service Saturday at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark. For her fans, gathered on East Broad Street here, this was their only chance to say goodbye.
Donna Wesolowski of Union, N.J., threw roses in the path of the procession, as did 8-year-old Giulia Giannetta of Westfield. Others did the same after being given roses by Wesolowski.
"I'm sad she died. ... She sang pretty," Giulia said.
Wesolowski said she has been a fan of Houston's for decades.
"I became a fan since I came here 30 years ago from Poland," she said. "She came from New Jersey and she gave us years of singing. This is the least I could do."
Fans crowded behind police barricades at the entrance to the cemetery, a few yelling "We love you, Whitney." Others displayed a banner with a graphic of a smiling, younger Houston.
Lucicenne Andrews said she drove from Arlington, Va., to bid farewell.
"I came to pay my final respects," said Andrews, who was among the first to arrive. She met a fellow fan, Barbara Goldstein, of Springfield, and the sober occasion turned to talk of happier times and a singer they loved.
"She was phenomenal, one of a kind. She had class, electrifying style and power," said Goldstein, who said she saw Houston perform twice at the Garden State Arts Center in the 1980s. "She came into the audience to interact. She was so personable and down to earth."
Andrews saw Houston perform in her native Puerto Rico in 1999 and said she's been a fan since age 9.
"You can feel her words," she said of the 1999 show. "I was fairly close, it was amazing. Her voice was crystal clear. We never sat down, she held us captivated."
"Every woman can relate to her songs," Goldstein said.
While Houston's burial next to the grave of her father was private, her fans waited for the procession to honor a woman who they said gave them so much.
"This doesn't happen every day that a pop star from your area passes away," Goldstein said.
Daniel Berke and Marilyn Kowalski, both of Westfield, held a homemade sign expressing their admiration.
"I grew up with her music," Kowalski said. "Westfield is a small community, and it has a community feel. We feel it's a great place to be her resting place."
Berke said he came to show support.
"I think it's awesome she gets to be next to her dad," Berke said. "We can pay our respects later."
Asbury Park Press