BALTIMORE _ Two former presidents, congressional colleagues and thousands of residents of his beloved Baltimore said goodbye to U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings at his longtime church Friday in a poignant service that was also a resounding celebration of his life and the city.
Cummings' widow, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, thanked the mourners, especially Barack Obama, the first African American president, who sat in the front row at New Psalmist Baptist Church.
"President Obama, he was so proud," Rockeymoore Cummings said, and Obama bowed his head and closed his eyes.
She said her husband was one of Obama's chief defenders, but "you didn't have any challenges like what we have going on now." She said that in the last months of his life, Cummings, the chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, one of the key committees pursuing an impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, had to "fight for the soul of our democracy the very real corruption."
His widow also referred to Trump's weeklong series of attacks on Cummings and Baltimore this summer, calling the city rat-infested and corrupt.
"He sustained personal attacks _ and attacks on our beloved city," she said. She said he carried himself "with grace and dignity in all public forums. But it hurt him."
As the funeral began, Rockeymoore Cummings, was flanked in the front row by Obama and former President Bill Clinton.
Near the end of the funeral, Obama told the congregation of Cummings: "His life validates the things we tell people about what's possible in this country _ not guaranteed, but possible."
The mood was one of sadness, mixed with buoyancy, as people prepared to celebrate Cummings, who died Oct. 17.
Hillary Clinton also spoke, and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts read the 23rd psalm. Also attending were former Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California and U.S. Reps. John Lewis of Georgia and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. Warren, Biden and Harris are seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.
Clinton kicked off the celebration of praise and remembrance, getting a full round of applause as she was introduced and approached the podium.
"It is no coincidence, is it, that Elijah Cummings shared a name with an Old Testament prophet?" Hillary Clinton said. "Like the prophet, our Elijah could call down fire from heaven. But he also prayed and worked for healing."
Without mentioning any elected leaders by name, Hillary Clinton said: "The American people want to live their lives without fear of their leaders."
She called Cummings "a great man, a moral leader and a friend."
Several speakers said they bonded with Cummings over chats about the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, and one of his daughters, Jennifer, talked about Christmas presents for him of shirts from Baltimore-based Under Armour.
Jennifer Cummings also recalled eating ice cream with her dad, watching murder mysteries with him, receiving his bear hugs and applauding him on his successful television appearances.
"He insisted on buying me brown dolls that looked like me," she added. "Thank you for teaching me the true power of my beauty and brilliance."
There were references throughout the day to Cummings' propensity for making the most of his time.
There was something like a quietly celebratory mood as, one by one, Cummings' supporters, friends, constituents and distant admirers _ all in dark mourning attire _ came together out of the gloom beginning more than three hours before officials would let them inside.
It was chilly and still dark when members of the general public began arriving to line up in front of the church. Many who showed up so early described deeply their deeply personal connections with Cummings, whether through knowing him or being familiar with his work in the community.
Janet Bailey of Baltimore was the first to arrive _ at 4:30 a.m. _ and described how the congressman had not only helped with community projects but had repeatedly reached out to help her family
He was instrumental in securing a congressional scholarship for her son to attend the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, she said, and assisted her in getting child support payments after her divorce.
"You talk about a civil servant. He cared. And he was no wimp. He spoke his mind about what mattered to him. He will be missed."
Susan Cranston of Mount Washington arrived a little later, a folding chair in hand, prepared to set up shop for the next three hours if necessary.
Cranston, 70, said she grew up with Cummings and knew him and his family well through their common membership at historic Mt. Moriah Baptist Church.
She said the Cummings kids were unusually well behaved and thoughtful, and even then it was clear that Elijah was going to become some kind of servant to others.
'His whole family was like that _ very compassionate people. They were the kind of people who taught you never to forget you roots, and Elijah didn't."
Antoinette Williams, a nonprofit executive, said she crossed paths with Cummings often and only recently asked him how he could work such long hours in Washington yet still spend so much time in his hometown.
She spoke with him last winter and inquired about his health _ and about his "continued willingness and drive to fight for truth, justice and equality."
He told her he was committed to continuing "to the end, though I don't know when that will be," she recalled.
Karen Thompson-Braden, who wore a black hat emblazoned with the logo of Delta Sigma Theta, her old college sorority, knew Cummings for years through her work as president of the Grove Park Improvement Association. She remembered how he was not only "instrumental" in the group's work but also intervened when an elementary school teacher in her part of the city was reported to be treating minority students unfairly.
He managed to get some of the children transferred to a different class, she said.
She often had the chance to meet with him and joked with him about all the Baltimore issues he had yet to solve, she said.
When a police motorcade arrived, light flashing, with the hearse bearing Cummings' body following behind, she edged closer to the curb to get a better view. When the hearse parked, and a light from inside it illuminated his flag-draped coffin, she grew emotional.
"This makes it so real," she said. "I won't be able to kid or joke with Elijah any more."
