Barbara Bush remembered at funeral as 'the first lady of the greatest generation'

Barbara Bush was remembered at her funeral as a loving wife, mother and friend with a devilish sense of humor and who represented the best of the World War II generation.

"Barbara Bush was the first lady of 'the greatest generation,'" presidential historian Jon Meacham, a friend of the Bush family, said in a eulogy at Saturday's funeral service in Texas that drew signatories from across the nation and around the world.

Meacham recalled the snowy-haired former first lady's "long and consequential life," not least her promotion of literacy, her quick-witted humor and her trademark faux pearls.

"She was candid and comforting," Meacham said, describing her as a “point of light" who "kept everything and everyone together."

Some 1,500 guests filled St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston for the service. Barbara Bush, who died on Tuesday at the age of 92, had requested in her last wishes a modest funeral at the Gothic-style cathedral, where she and her husband, former President George H.W. Bush, were devoted members for decades.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in his eulogy described his "precious mother" as someone who "filled our lives with laughter and joy."

"She was our teacher and role model on how to live a life of purpose and meaning," he said.

Four of the five living ex-presidents attended Saturday's funeral service, including former President Barack Obama and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, as well as former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State and first lady Hillary Clinton. The Clintons' daughter, Chelsea Clinton, was also in attendance.

Following the service, a funeral procession brought Barbara Bush's casket to the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum near Texas A&M University in College Station for a private service, where she was buried in a family plot beside her daughter, Robin, who died of leukemia at the age of 3 in 1953. The Texas A&M Corps of Cadets were expected to line Barbara Bush Avenue outside the library to pay tribute to the former first lady.

First lady Melania Trumpattended Saturday's service “on behalf of the first family,” White House deputy press secretary Lindsay Walters said in a statement. “To avoid disruptions due to added security, and out of respect for the Bush Family and friends attending the service, President Trump will not attend.”

Born in 1925, Barbara Bush served as first lady from 1989 to 1993. She died shortly after deciding to forgo further medical treatments for her failing health. - Read More

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