The caskets of Melissa and Mark Hortman sit at the back of the sanctuary before funeral services for Mark and Melissa Hortman at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
10:05 a.m. - Bells toll on the hour at the Basilica of St. Mary as the last of a column of mourners enters the church for the Hortmans’ funeral. Services are expected to start at 10:30 a.m. and include remarks from Gov. Tim Walz and a friend of the Hortmans.
10 a.m. - Pews inside the ornate Basilica are quickly filling up. More than a dozen bouquets with condolence letters attached are displayed at the back of the cathedral, signed by unions, tribal nations, GOP and DFL legislative caucuses, and members of Congress including U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and Brad Finstad. Pictures of Melissa and Mark Hortman and their beloved golden retriever, Gilbert, are also on display.
9:44 a.m. - Hundreds of mourners are filing into the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis for the funeral of Melissa and Mark Hortman. The line to get in snakes around the block and includes countless legislators, past and present, DFL and GOP. Dozens of Hortman’s House colleagues have come to pay their respects, including Speaker Lisa Demuth, as have many senators, including Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy and Senate President Bobby Joe Champion.
People arrive at the funeral services for Mark and Melissa Hortman at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Outside the Basilica, two Minneapolis Fire Department trucks sit with ladders raised to hold a massive American flag. Traffic is diverted around a secure perimeter in anticipation of former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ attendance. Roughly 1,400 mourners are expected to attend the services.