Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher: A mother-daughter bond to the end

(FOX 11) - As her eyes welled up, veteran Hollywood journalist Jeanne Wolf was feeling emotional as she spoke about the deaths of Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher.

She says she's known Reynolds a long time and understood the bond between the two who died a day apart.

She told us, "You know this whole town is grieving. Carrie and Debbie were so personally connected to so many people in this city."

Hollywood publicist Roger Neal sees it too, that mother-daughter bond.

"I've done some research on it and believe in the history of Hollywood there has never been a parent and a child that had died a day apart that were both stars. So, this is historic really for Hollywood history," Neal said.

Wolf and others, like the Hollywood Reporter and TMZ, are reporting that a private memorial for both Fisher and Reynolds will be held Thursday at the family's Beverly Hills compound, followed Friday by a private funeral service at Forest Lawn.

"Many news sources are reporting that Carrie Fisher requested and now has been cremated," Wolf said. "That's what she wanted and Debbie didn't want to be cremated. She wanted to be buried and so the word is some of Carrie's ashes will be put in a coffin and buried next to Debbie. The two of them had to be side by side."

Roger Neal used to represent Joely Fisher in her early days. Joely is the daughter of Eddie Fisher and Connie Stevens, making her the half-sister of Carrie Fisher -- whose parents were Reynolds and Eddie Fisher.

Neal expects the Thursday service to be small, maybe "under 100 people."

"I think it's just going to be Carrie's daughter, probably Joely and Tricia Fisher, Connie Stevens, just a small group of family and very close-knit friends," he said.

To Wolf, "I would hope that, amidst the tears, there would be some glasses raised, some singing, and dancing and jokes because that's all those two women lived for."

Both Neal and Wolfe believe public memorials are an important way for fans to express their grief as some have done with light sabers on Hollywood Boulevard recently for Carrie.

It's not clear, though, when one might be held. Although TMZ reports that Meryl Streep, who was in "Postcards from the Edge," and George Lucas would be expected to attend.

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