Whitney Houston to be Buried Saturday

NEWARK, N.J. (AP):
Whitney Houston's funeral will be held Saturday in the church where she first showcased her singing talents as a child, her family choosing to remember her in a private service rather than in a large event at an arena.The owner of the Whigham Funeral Home said yesterday that the funeral will be held at noon at Newark's New Hope Baptist Church, which seats up to 1,500.
The family said no public memorial service is planned at this time. Officials had discussed the possibility of opening up the Prudential Centre, a major sports and entertainment venue, for a memorial, but the funeral home said it had been ruled out.
Funeral home owner Carolyn Whigham said the church service will be by invitation only, reflecting the family's decision to keep the memorial more personal.
"They have shared her for 30-some years with the city, with the state, with the world. This is their time now for their farewell," she said.
"The family thanks all the fans, the friends and the media, but this time is their private time," she said.
Houston, 48, died February 11 at a hotel in Beverly Hills, California, just hours before she was set to perform at producer Clive Davis' pre-Grammy Awards bash. Officials say she was underwater and apparently unconscious when she was pulled from a bathtub.
Police have confirmed attempts were made for 30 minutes to save the
Greatest Love of All singer after she was discovered by a member of her staff on Saturday afternoon, but she was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m.
Beverly Hills Police spokesman Lt Mark Rosen said in a press conference that hotel security responded when called but were "unable to revive her" after initiating CPR.