#4 • Funeral Service Program for Colonel Harland Sanders (1980)

Part of The Colonel Sanders Artifact Collection (live auction by The Menish Group Auction & Real Estate)

High bid $1,750.00

Status: Sold

Original funeral service program distributed at the funeral of Colonel Harland David Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken. The program includes a portrait of Sanders, biographical information, order of service, scripture readings, musical selections, officiants, and a complete listing of pallbearers and honorary pallbearers. The service was held December 19, 1980, at Alumni Memorial Chapel on the campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. The interior pages provide a detailed record of the ceremony, including tributes from family, clergy, and business associates. Notably, the program identifies members of the Kentucky Fried Chicken Corporation Board of Directors and Colonel Sanders' Canadian company as honorary pallbearers, reflecting both the personal and business legacy he left behind. As an official memorial publication created for attendees, the program offers a contemporaneous account of the funeral proceedings and serves as an important historical document connected to one of Kentucky's most recognizable entrepreneurs. Provenance: From the Blackwood Hall collection, acquired directly from the Sanders estate through the Settle family following their purchase of Blackwood Hall from Colonel and Claudia Sanders. Condition: Light handling and age-related wear consistent with use. Interior pages remain legible and complete.