Late Alaska congressman Don Young lies in state at U.S. Capitol

March 29 (UPI) -- The late Rep. Don Young of Alaska, who died earlier this month as the longest-serving member of the House, is lying in state Tuesday at the U.S. Capitol.

Young's family and members of Congress attended the ceremony late Tuesday morning as Young's body lay in Statuary Hall at the Capitol.

The 88-year-old Republican had served as the dean of the U.S. House had been the longest continually serving member of the lower chamber after he was first elected to represent Alaska in 1973 during a special election.

President Joe Biden was scheduled to visit the Capitol on Tuesday afternoon to pay tribute to Young, who died on March 18.

The Office of Alaska at Large said a memorial service will be held for Young at St. Francis Episcopal church in Great Falls, Va., just outside of Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

"We encourage anyone who wants to honor congressman Young's accomplishments on behalf of Alaska and the nation to attend," the office said in a statement.

A memorial service for Young, open to the public, will be held at the Anchorage Baptist Temple in Alaska on Saturday before funeral services for the longtime lawmaker.

Young said he'd planned to run for re-election in 2022. With nearly 50 years in the House, he's one of the only House representatives that many Alaskans have ever known.