Private funeral for Houston set for Sat.

NEWARK, N.J. — Whitney Houston’s funeral will be held Saturday in the church where she first showcased her singing talents as a child, her family choosing to remember her in a private service rather than in a large event at an arena.

The owner of the Whigham Funeral Home said Tuesday that the funeral will be held at noon at Newark’s New Hope Baptist Church, which can seat 1,500. Gospel singer Marvin Winans, a Grammy Award winner and longtime family friend, has been chosen to give the eulogy, his son said.

The family said no public memorial service is planned at this time.

Funeral home owner Carolyn Whigham said the church service will be by invitation only, ref lecting the family’s decision to keep the memorial more personal.

Houston, 48, died Feb. 11 at a hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., just hours before she was set to sing at producer Clive Davis’ pre -Grammy Awards bash. Officials say she was underwater and apparently unconscious when she was pulled from a bathtub.

After an autopsy Sunday, authorities said there were no indications of foul play and no obvious signs of trauma on Houston. It could be weeks, however, before toxicology tests are completed to establish the cause of death.

Houston was born in Newark and was raised in nearby East Orange. She began singing as a child at New Hope Baptist Church, where her mother, Grammy-winning gospel singer Cissy Houston, led the music program for many years. Her cousin, singer Dionne Warwick, also sang in its choir.

On Tuesday, a steady stream of well-wishers continued to stop at the New Hope Baptist Church, where the front fence was adorned with dozens of flowers, balloons and oversized cards, some bearing hundreds of signatures and condolences.