Christine Wonsley has announced that the funeral for her son Nolan Wells will be held on July 20, emphasizing celebration rather than mourning as the family searches for answers.
On July 15, Nolan Wells’ mother stood in front of the camera and detailed her son’s final celebrations, turning what could have been a day of pure sadness into one that honored who he really was.
The 18-year-old wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College disappeared while on a boat trip to Horn Island with friends on July 4, and his body was discovered two days later by a U.S. Park Service ranger.
Now, just five days before the funeral, his mother is making sure everyone understands it won’t be a traditional funeral.
“We want to celebrate Nolan,” Wansley said in a statement. “He didn’t want us to sit around crying and eating.”
Funeral services will be held July 20 at Center Pointe Church in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, with visitation from 9 to 11 a.m. and funeral from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Rev. Al Sharpton will deliver the eulogy, and film producer Tyler Perry will bear all expenses. Following the ceremony, the family held a re-passing celebration at the Jackson County Fairgrounds.
The circumstances of Nolan’s death are still under investigation, and the family doesn’t accept easy answers.
Attorney Ben Crump was hired to conduct an independent review, and NFL activist Colin Kaepernick stepped in to fund a separate autopsy to ensure nothing was overlooked.
When the family met with the district attorney on July 15, they left without providing new information but agreed to examine Nolan’s phone with experts from both parties.
Wansley also discussed the possibility of protesting at the ceremony, making her son’s wishes clear.
“If you have a protest, even on the day he was deployed, I ask that you please keep it peaceful. Nolan would never want any type of violence, he’s not that kind of person,” she said.
In a Facebook post shared earlier, the stress of planning a funeral for an 18-year-old girl was taking its toll.
“Planning a funeral for our 18-year-old doesn’t feel real,” she wrote. “All the emotions coming together. I thank God that I was able to watch the video again and hear his laugh. We miss you so much Nolan.”
The family pushed for transparency while honoring their son’s memory, and the community rallied to support them in ways big and small.
Investigators are still trying to piece together Nolan’s final hours on the island, but it’s still unclear why he didn’t return with his friends and what happened during those missing moments, CNN reported.
The results of the independent autopsy are expected to provide important information that could answer some of the family’s most pressing questions.
