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Lisle church hosting Sandra Bland's funeral Saturday

Funeral arrangements have been set for the Naperville woman found dead in a Texas jail cell, leaders at Sandra Bland's church said Tuesday.

DuPage African Methodist Episcopal Church in Lisle will host Bland's wake and funeral Saturday morning, said Alicia Rupert, executive to the pastor.

The wake for the 28-year-old known by friends as "Sandy B" is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. followed by a funeral service at 11 a.m., both at the church at 4300 Yackley Avenue in Lisle.

The wake and funeral service will be open to the public at the church, which has a capacity of 400, Rupert said.

Investigations into Bland's death continue as the church where she had been a member for 18 years prepares to reflect on her life. Bland was found dead in a jail in Waller County, Texas on July 13, three days after her arrest on a charge of assaulting a public servant.

Pastor Rev. James Miller called her "an asset to the community" as a young woman who regularly attended services and got involved with young adult and women's groups.

"She was very concerned about making a positive contribution," Miller said.

Bland was a 2005 graduate of Willowbrook High School in Villa Park and a graduate of Prairie View A&M University in Texas.

Her church on Sunday hosted a silent prayer walk after a service to honor Bland and call for an "independent and objective, thorough investigation" into her death.

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