Mourners view Helms body

RALEIGH, N.C., July 7 (UPI) -- A steady stream of viewers walked past the casket of the late U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms as it reposed in a Raleigh, N.C., church through the holiday weekend.

The small crowd to see the former Republican senator at Hayes Barton Baptist Church was mostly elderly and casually dressed, the Raleigh News-Observer reported Monday. Helms, 86, died July 4.

His closed casket was draped with an American flag with two members of the state Highway Patrol in dress uniform stood guard at the side. A nearby portrait showed Helms sitting at a desk.

Helms funeral and burial are scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. State flags will fly at half-staff until the end of the day. There is a condolence book for visitors to sign at the State Capitol.