Family and friends remember Barbara Bush

An estimated 1,500 people filled the pews of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston Saturday to remember former first lady Barbara Bush, who died Tuesday at age 92. Four former presidents of the United States, including her husband George H.W. Bush and son George W. Bush, along with Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, were in attendance at the private, invitation-only service. First lady Melania Trump represented the current administration, with President Donald Trump not attending to avoid security disruptions and “out of respect for the Bush family and friends attending the service,” according to the White House. He tweeted Saturday, saying, “My thoughts and prayers are with the entire Bush family.” Bush’s son Jeb, the former governor of Florida, delivered a eulogy, as did her longtime friend Susan Baker, wife of former Secretary of State James Baker, and historian Jon Meacham, who wrote a biography on her husband in 2015. Bush’s granddaughters read Scripture during the service, including Ecclesiastes 3:1-14; Proverbs 31:10-31; and 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:9. During his remarks, Jeb Bush shared about his parents’ 73-year marriage, saying, “Our family has had a front row seat to the most amazing love story.” He also recounted a recent discussion he had with his mother about dying: “She said, ‘Jeb, I believe in Jesus and He is my Savior. I don’t want to leave your dad, but I know I will be in a beautiful place.’” The Rev. Russell Levenson Jr., the Bushes’ pastor at St. Martin’s, said during his homily that Barbara Bush asked to be confirmed in the church in 2015 at the age of 90. A private burial followed the funeral service at the Bush Library at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. The Bushes’ 3-year-old daughter, Robin, who died of leukemia in 1953, is buried there.