♪ >> and welcome to our viewers on fox news channel as well as fox television stations and my network stations across the nation. i'm shepard smith outside st. martin's episcopal church in however. today, family and friends gather to remember and celebrate the life of the former first lady barbara pierce bush. her funeral service was scheduled to start at 11:00 central daylight time this morning, but as has been the case for the bushes for decades they began a few minutes early. so without further interruption, the celebration of the life of

barbara bush. ♪ >> it is my honor and privilege on behalf of this wonderful family and st. martin's episcopal church to welcome you to this service of celebration for the life and the service and the faith of barbara pierce bush. would you please stand, turn to page three and let us sing with strength our opening hymn "praise to the lord." ♪

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>> the sense of your goodness, lift up your countenance upon them and give peace through jesus christ our lord. amen.

amen. and the light sayeth the lord. yet shall we live and whoever live and believeth in me shall never die. i know that my redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day of the earth and though the body be destroyed and so i shall see god and i shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold and not as a stranger. for none of us liveth to himself and know man dieth to himself for if we live, we live unto the lord and if we die, we do unto the lord. whether we live there ffore or die, we are the lord.

blessed are the dead who die in the lord say say the spirit for they rest from their labors. the lord be with you. remaining standing, let us pray. oh, god whose mercies cannot be numbered prayers on behalf of thy servant barbara pierce bush and grant barbara into the land of light and joy and the fellowship of thy saints through jesus christ our son and lord who liveth and reign with thee in one spirit under god, amen. please be seated for the lessons. lessons. >> a read frinreading, there's r

every season and a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted. a time to kill, and a time to heal. a time to break down and a time to build up. a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance. a time to throw away stones and a time to gather stones together. a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. a time to seek and a time to lose. a time to keep and a time to throw away. a time to prepare and a time to sew, a time for silence, a time to speak. a time to love and a time to hate. a time for war and a time for peace. what gain have the workers from their toil? i have seen the business that god has given to everyone to be busy with. he has made everything suitable

for its time, moreover, he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet, they cannot find out what god has done from the beginning to the end. i know that there's nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live. moreover, it is god's gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in their toil. i know that whatever god does endures forever. nothing can be added to it, more anything taken from it. god has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him. the word of the lord. >> thanks be to god. ♪ ♪

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>> a reading from proverbs. >> a capable wife who can find she's far more precious than jewels. the heart of her husband trusts in her and he will have no lack of gain. she does him good and not harm all the days of her life. she seeks wool and flax and works with willing hands. >> she's like the ships of the merchant. she brings her food from far away. she rises while it is still night and provides food for her household and tasks for her servant girls, she considers the field and buys it, with the fruits of her hands, she plants a vineyard. >> she girds herself with strengths and makes her arms strong. she perceives that her merchandise is profitable. her lamp does not go out at night. she puts her hands to the staff

and her hands hold the spindle. she opens her hands to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. needy. >> she is not afraid, for her household when it snows for all of her house is clothed in crimson. she makes herself clothing, her fine linen is purple and her husband is known in the city gates taking a seat among the elders of the land. >> she makes linen garments and sells them. she supplies the merchant with sashes. strength and dignity are her clothing and she laughs at the time to come. she opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

she looks well to the ways of her household and she does not eat the bread of idleness. her children rise up and call her happy. her husband, too. and he praises her h many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all. >> beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the lord to be praised give her share in the works at her hands and praise at the city gates.

gates. >> about a decade ago i was on the washington mall for the national book festival on my way to give a talk about a book i'd written. when a woman ran up to me, which doesn't happen enough, believe me. and she said, oh, my god, it's you. and i said, well, yes, you know? kind of hard to argue with. she said, i just admire you so much. i love your book, it meant a lot to me and my family? would you wait here, i want to buy your book and have you sign an and i said, yes, ma'am, and let me confess this this setting, i was feeling kind of full of myself. when she came back with john grisham's latest novel. [laughter]

>> it gets worse. that had been on a saturday in september and i was on my way to maine to see the 41st president of the united states and mrs. bush. and i was feeling rather sorry for myself. and i told this story and mrs. bush looked across the table, looked me in the eye, and i was thinking here comes some motherly sympathy. [laughte [laughter] >> it's called telegraphing. here it comes, and she said, well, how do you think poor john grisham would feel? [laughter] >> he's a very handsome man. so i was 0 for 2. but it was a fair and funny point. as were so many of the points that barbara pierce bush made in her long and consequential life.

known as barbara, as bar, as mom, as mother, as ganny as the silver fox and enforcer. she was candid and comforting, steadfast and straightforward, honest and loving. barbara bush was the first lady of the greatest generation, as the fiancee and then the wife of a world war ii naval aviator, she waited and prayed in the watches of the night. during the war, she worked at a nuts and bolts factory in port chester, new york, and she joined george h.w. bush in the great adventure of post-war texas, moving to distant odessa in 1948, 70 summers ago. from mrs. bushes mother, she would send boxes of soap and

detergent from her mother on the grounds that they probably didn't have that kind of thing in west texas. mrs. bush raised a family, endured the loss of a daughter to leukemia, and kept everything and everyone together. and as the wife of one president and the mother of another, she holds a distinction that belongs to only one other american in the long history of the republic, abigail adams, who was present at the creation. from the white houses, to camp david, to walker's point, in hours of war and of peace, of t tumult, and calm. the bushes governed in congeniality, and grace. instinctively generous, barbara and george bush put country above party, the common good above political gain, and service to others above the

settling of of scores. the couple had met at a christmas dance in greenwich in 1941, not quite three weeks after pearl harbor. she was wearing a red and green holiday dress. he endeavored to get introduced. she was 16, he was 17. he was the only boy she ever kissed. her children, she remarked, always wanted to throw up when they heard that. [laughte [laughter] >> in a letter to barbara during the war, george h.w. bush wrote, i love you, precious, with all my heart. and to know that you love me means my life. how often i have thought about the immeasurable joy that will be ours some day. how lucky our children will be

to have a mother like you. and if you ask them, they'll be the first to say, they were. i once asked president bush if he had known even in the beginning how resilient mrs. bush would be. no, he said. tears coming to his eyes. and he went on, she's the rock of the family, the leader of the family. i kind of float above it all. but she's always there, always there for me and for the kids, just amazing. debutante from rye, willing to make our own way, have adventures. it wasn't always easy for her, but never a word of complaint. just love and strength. opinions, too, of course, lots of those. she was strength itself and if her tongue were sometimes sharp she was as honest with herself

as she was with all of us. when she once unwisely described a female political opponent of her husband as a word that rhymes with rich, she reported that her family had begun calling her the boat laureate, and she loved the story of how when her eldest son, the 43rd president of the united states took up painting, his instructor asked him if he'd ever used the color burnt umber. no, 43 replied, but he did remember that from his mother's cooking. [laughte [laughter] >> brings down the house, she would say, approvingly. mother and son needle each other to the end and in her final days when the 43rd president was visiting mrs. bush asked one of

her doctors if she'd like to know why george w turned out the way she he had and she announced i smoked and drank while i was pregnant. she was a point of light. in 1989, when many americans lived in ignorance about hiv/aids, mrs. bush went to a home for infected infants and hugged the children there, as well as an adult male patient. the images sent a powerful message, one of compassion, of love, and of acceptance. she believed literacy, a fundamental civil and human right and gave the cause her all. at televised event commemorating the constitution, mrs. bush met a man named jt pace, the 63-year-old son of a former share cropper. mr. pace, who had only recently

become literate, was scheduled to read the constitution's preamble aloud. back stage, he was nervous. mrs. bush asked if it would help if they read it together on the broadcast. mr. pace agreed. soon the two of them stood on stage reading in unison. as mr. pace grew comfortable, mrs. bush lowered her voice and lowered it again, and then again, until at last jt pace was reading entirely on his own. he wept and he read. supported by barbara bush, who stood to his side, now silent. her work was done when his voice spoke of the unending search for

a more perfect union. jt pace had found his voice, not least because barbara bush had lent him her heart. just last summer on a sunny day on the bush's porch in maine, talk turned to world war ii and that terrible saturday, september 2nd, 1944, when lieutenant junior gray, george herbert walker bush were shot down on a bombing raid. two of his crew mates didn't make it, becoming casualties of war. lieutenant bush parachuted out of the bomber, plunged into the sea, came up to the surface, flopped onto a life raft and waited, scared and retching. had young bush been captured by the japanese, he would have been held captive on an island that was home to horrific war crimes,

including cannibalism. bar, he'd say in later years, i could have been a hors d'oeuvre. in truth, it had been the closest of calls. george, mrs. bush said in maine last july in their great old age, lost in reminisce sense, you must have been saved for a reason. i know there had to be a reason. president bush sat silently for the briefest of moments, then raised that big left hand and pointed his finger across the table at his wife. you, he said hoarsely, you were the reason.

>> a reading from the second letter of paul to the corinthians. so we do not lose heart even though our utter nature is wasting away our inner nature it being renewed day by day. for the slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal wait of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what could be seen, but at what cannot be seen. for what can be seen as temporary, but what cannot be seen as eternal. for we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from god, a house not made with him, eternal in the heavens. from this tent we've grown, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling. if indeed when we have taken it off we will not be found naked

for while we are still in this tent, we've groaned under our burdens because we wish to be cloth so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. he who has prepared us for this very thing is god who has given up the spirit as a guarantee. so we're always confident, even though we know while we are at home in the body, we are away from the lord. for we walk by faith, not by sight. yes, we do have confidence and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the lord. so, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. the word of the lord. >> would you please stand and together let us sing on page 11 the verses from "amazing grace".

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♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> the holy gospel of our lord jesus christ, according to john. jesus said everything that the father gives me will come to me. and anyone who comes to me i will never drive away, for i have come down from heaven, not

to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. and this is the will of him who sent me, that i should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. this is, indeed, the will of my father, that all who see the son and believe in him may have eternal life and i will raise them up on the last day. the gospel of the lord. ♪ ♪

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>> it's hard to think about life without that force of nature that our very special friend was barbara bush. she was smart, strong, fun and feisty, even sometimes making the headlines she regretted. the world saw that and like we did, they admired and loved her for it. the world saw a remarkable and selfless companion to her beloved husband george. it was extraordinary how she managed their rambunctious

household in 29 different homes in 17 cities. at the same time, she fully participated in his amazing career, including too many political campaigns to count. starting from the time he was chairman of the harris county republican party, to becoming president of the united states. once back in houston, they continued their dedication to volunteerism and exhausting rounds of good work. rather than bemoan their many moves, barbara just laughed and said, one thing i can say about george, he may not be able to keep a job, but he's certainly not boring. [laughte [laughter] >> the world saw a compassionate, but strict mother who inspired her children with

tender love and firm lessons and when needed, the fear of god. when we saw her and george together with their five children, with their 17 grandchildren, and seven great grands, we knew they represented the very best. as we watched their brood wise crack with one another, or work together on a volunteer program or campaign, we thought how wonderful it would be if more families could be so cohesive. barbara, the tough, but loving enforcer, was the secret sauce of this extraordinary family. the world respects barbara bush's deep passion and great effectiveness in equipping those who cannot read with the skill to do so. we all celebrate her vision and

tenacious dedication to literacy. of course, the world is seeing barbara's many public contributions, but what the world may not have seen is what an amazing, caring, and beautiful friend that bar was to so many of us. when jim and i first arrived in washington in 1975, i was overwhelmed trying to manage our newly blended family of seven children and an intimidating environment. fortunately, bar took me under her wing. she encouraged me. she offered suggestions, and she invited us to lunch almost every sunday lunch. those hamburger lunches that always ended with an incredible dessert, included famous personalities, as well as many

unknowns whom they loved and this really helped us become part of the washington world. when we returned to washington in 1981, george was vice-president and jim was white house chief of staff. bar encouraged me to use jim's position in the reagan administration to promote the causes that i cared about. this really pushed me out of my comfort zone, but i followed her wise lead. she supported my efforts to help the homeless by holding meetings in the vice-president's house. what a blessing. this meant that many came who otherwise would have not given our group the time of day. she also hosted controversial homeless advocates so we could help people understand about the plight of those who live on the

street. even though that was not a popular position in the administration. bar taught us volumes about who our neighbors are and how to love them. because of their own tragic loss of daughter robin, barbara knew how to comfort those who were suffering. my jim was among them, as she helped him during his first losing battle with cancer. barbara's motivation was never about herself, but about giving love and support to those in need. her friendship didn't stop with people she knew. barbara bush was penpals with people she had never met. she corresponded for several years with a young girl who named her heifer after barbara.

[laughter] >> the child sent frequent updates on bovine barbara bush wii competed in the houston rodeo and livestock show one year and finished in eighth place. i was sorry for my little friend, barbara said later, but was slightly relieved as i am not sure i could have stood the headlines, barbara bush wins the stock show. about friendship bar said, the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people, your family, your friends, and co-workers, and even strangers you meet along the way. she was the gold standard of what it meant to be a friend

because she was motivated by the desire to show god's love to each and every one of his children that she met. c st. louis once defined friendship as the instrument in which god reveals to each of us the beauty of others. bar's beauty was evident in every day of her life. saying goodbye to our special friend is painful, but it's a great comfort in knowing that we will see this good and faithful servant again one day. thank you, dear lord, for bringing barbara pierce bush, this vibrantly beautiful human being into the world and especially for bringing her friendship into our lives. amen.

amen. >> as i stand here today to share a few words about my mom, i feel her looming presence hyped behind me, and i know exactly what she's thinking, jeb, don't drag this out, keep

it short. people have heard remarks already and most of all, don't get weepy. remember, i've spent decades laughing and living a life with these people, and that is true. barbara bush filled our lives with laughter and joy ap and in the case of our family she was our teacher and role model how to live a life of purpose and meaning. on behalf of our family, we want to thank the thousands and thousands of expressions of condolence and love for our precious mother. we want to thank mom's caregivers for compassionate care in the last months of her life. i want to thank neil and maria for their next door family love of our parents and thank john and susan for their eloquent words. meacham, you might have been a little long, but it was beautiful. thank russ and laura for the care of our parents pastoral care, and all those who are here

to celebrate the life of barbara bush. it's appropriate to express gratitude because we learned to do that at a very early age. you see, our mom was our first and most important teacher. sit up, look people in the eye, please say please and thank you, do your homework, quit whining and stop complaining, eat your broccoli, yes, dad, she said that. [laughter] >> the little things we learned became habits and they led to bigger things like be kind, always tell the truth, never disparage anyone, serve others, treat everyone as you would want to be treated, and love your god with your heart and soul. what a blessing to have a teacher like that 24/7. now, to be clear, her students weren't perfect. that's an understatement. mom got us through our difficult times with consistent, take it to the bank, unconditional, but

tough love. she called her style, a benevolent dictatorship, but honestly, it wasn't always benevolent. when our children got older they would spend time visiting gamp yichlt and gammy. when they came home, they were pitching in around the house and didn't fight as much, and they were actually nice to be with. i attribute this to the unbridled fear of the ganny lecture and habit forming effect of better behavior taking hold. even in her 90's mother could strike fear into her grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and children if they didn't behave. there were no microaggressions allowed with barbara pierce bush. but in the end, every grandchild knew their ganny loved them. we learned a lot more from our

mom and our ganny. we learned not to take ourselves too seriously. we learned that humor is a joy that should be shared. some of my greatest memories are participating in our family dinners with mom, when mom would get into it, most the time with george w as you might imagine, and having us all laughing to tears. we learned to strive to be genuine and authentic by the best role model in the world. her authentic plastic pearls and not coloring her hair, by the way she was beautiful till the day she died. her hugging of a hiv patients at a time when her own mother wouldn't do it. and standing with a little mom with a rhyming poetry in the election and a thousand other ways that barbara pierce bush was real and that's why people loved her so. and finally our family had a front row seat for the most amazing love stories through a multitude of moods, new haven, to odessa, to mid land, houston,

to d.c., new york to d.c., d.c. to houston, to d.c., back to houston, and kennebunkport. whew. their love was a constant in our lives. my dad is a phenomenal letter writer and he would write mom on their wedding anniversary, and totalled an amazing 73 years. here is one written on january 6th, 1994. will you marry me? oops, i forgot we did that 49 years ago. [laughter] >> i was very happy on that day in 1945, but i'm even happier today. you have given me joy that few men know. you've made our boys into men by bawling them out and then right away, by loving them. you've helped doro be the sweetest greatest daughter in the whole world and i've climbed perhaps to the highest mountain in the world and even that cannot hold a candle to being barbara's husband. mom used to tell me, now, george, don't walk ahead. little did she know i was only

trying to keep up, keep up with barbara pierce from rye, new york. i love you. the last time my mom went into the hospital, i think dad got sick on purpose so that he could be with her. that's my theory, at least, literally, a day later he showed up with an illness. he came into her room when she was sleeping and held her hand. his hair was standing straight up, he had on the mask to improve his breathing. he was wearing a hospital gown. and in other words, he looked like hell. [laughter] >> mom opened her eyes and said, my god, george, you are devastatingly handsome. [laughter] >> every nurse, doctor, staffer had to run to the hallway because they all started crying. i hope you can see why we think our mom and our dad, our teachers and models for our entire family and for many others. finally, the last time i was with her, i asked her about

dying, was she ready to go, was she sad. without missing a beat she said, jeb, i believe in jesus and my savior, i don't want to leave your dad, but i know he'll be in a beautiful place. mom, we look forward to be with you and robin and all of god's children. we love you. . >> bow your heads in prayer for just a moment. all mighty god, the source of all comfort be close to us in our grief. the source of all gifts, give us grateful hearts, and the source of of new life, may we celebrate barbara's new life with you. this i pray in christ's name,

amen. okay. so i begin with an apology. i realized this is a historic moment and i messed up a minute ago. i as a priest from time to time, i announced him too early. thank you for giving along with the hymn. we planned this service carefully about three weeks ago, barbara said to me, this isn't in my remarks, russ, i don't know if i want to sing amazing grace and everybody sings that. and i said, well, bar, everybody knows that and then i messed it up. [laughter] >> so, it's like, bar got the last laugh on me on that one. so, thanks, again. despite this distinguished gathering today, i have to tell you that i think there are only two who can fill this place the

way it's filled today. the first of those is jesus christ, the second of those is barbara bush. so, we are grateful for your gathering here today. the word offering came to mind and then i heard barbara say, don't even think about it. [laughte [laughter] >> ganny's garden, given by friends and loved ones of barbara pierce bush is a lovely spot to rest and reflect near downtown kennebunkport and there you'll find on a sculpted bench a wide brim sun hat, the kind that barbara wore in her garden and an open cape face down of her favorite book, jane austen's "pride and prejudice", a wonderful truth, i declare there's no enemployment like reading. how much sooner one tires of

anything than of a book. reading, literacy, for all was, as you know, barbara bush's great passion. every great book has a good beginning, but also a wonderful end. and so the life story of barbara bush is best described as a consummate good read. we gather today in this holy space that has been the worshipping community of president george h.w. bush and first lady barbara bush for more than 50 years. it is a humbling privilege to speak as her pastor, her friend, her priest, and her confidante. what an interesting thing to be a confidante to a woman who has no secrets. what you saw was what you got. what was in here came out here. [laughter] >> the author of our lesson in proverbs muses on the gift of a

loving wife and mother, a godly woman, all of which barbara had. she believed in and practiced the principles of honesty, tolerance, decency, courage, and strength, and perhaps above all, humility. she lived according to the mantra of the bush family for many years, don't get caught up in the big me. one day we were walking together on the beach in kennebunkport. barbara was washing off her own shoes and a fella came up to her and said, hey, you look a lot like barbara bush and without missing a beat, barbara said, yes, i hear that a lot. [laughte [laughter] >> she was a friend to people of every political persuasion

and race and religion. her generosity of spirit did not draw lines that kept others out. hers was a life of circles, that sought to bring others in. here in houston, we saw her at major galas, behind home plate at the astros games, praying here in the pews, catching up with a neighbor while pushing her own buggy through walgreen's. and her humor, we've heard so much, hundred stories we could tell. one day after sharing prayers and communion with the president and bar, my wife, laura, leaned over to kiss the president on the cheek at which point, bb, one of her beloved dogs nipped by wife on the calf, this is a badge of honor, by the way. apologies came, but the next morning on our doorstep was a beautiful orchid with a handwritten note, dear laura,

i'm so sorry about the bite, you just looked good enough to eat. [laughte [laughter] >> my word, we could talk endlessly about how great this woman is. but we're reminded in the lesson that there comes a time for everything, even the end of a great story. the least of barbara's virtues, i think, was patience. if you're sharing a meal or waiting on her favorite drink, bourbon and water for the record, i pause to say about the talking ever drinking and from the pulpit we've done a great deal for the evangelism in the church. thank you. i mean that sincerely. barbara would say why the hold up? barbara liked to see things move along and i think that's why

we're here today. i think that barbara was becoming impatient. she was tired of waiting on the next chapter. so, she welcomed it on april 17th. but perhaps it will help all of us who are left behind, jesus was barbara's pathway to god. she honored and believed that others found god in her own way, but for her being a christian mattered. we were talking, and she paused and looked me in the eye, i'm a christian, i do believe. and then she said, i want to be confirmed and then she said do i have to take a class? and i started, take one? bar, you could teach one. so in may of 2015, she and some family gathered in our chapel as she confirmed her faith in christ and that's something she

wore on her shoulder, just something personal and very real. simply confirmed what we believed, what we read in the letter from second corinthians, that we live not by what we say, but by our faith and things that we don't see. so if paul wrote, even on days like today, we don't lose heart, yes, barbara's health declined, but as we just heard, though our outward nature is wasting away, our inner nature is renewed every day, for what is mortal, paul writes, by the grace and mercy of god is swallowed up by life. we find barbara's jesus in the gospel lesson, jesus who says all, all who come to me will be welcomed. her jesus offers the hope that life here when it comes to its natural close is changed, not

ended. some books have no true ending. some offer an epi rests beyond the closing chapter. can we imagine this day? a reunion with her parents, with your parents, sir, and with your dear robin together again. my tbez -- guess is she hunted down darcy or elizabeth bennett. [laughter] >> in the meantime, until each of our time comes, she would wants us to carry on, to live as she lived fully and deeply, to laugh and laugh often, to love

all that god sends our way and to serve one another, the common good and especially the purposes of god. so leave here today not to grieve but rejoice. joyful, joyful we adore thee. barbara would want us to celebrate her next chapter. she has been raised to new life for in this story you never turn the page and see the two words, the end. barbara bush's story has just begun again and the best is yet to come as she lives in that holy city of god. amen. ♪

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♪ ♪ >> please stand. it is the tradition in the episcopal church we stand affirm to that i think so we believe. i invite you to turn to top of page 6 and together let's reaffirm the faith that we share with our dear barbara bush by saying the creed, i believe in god, the father almighty, maker

of heaven and earth and in jesus christ only son our lord who was conceived by the holey ghost, born by the virgin mary, suffered by pilot, crucified and buried, descended and and third day and sitting in the right-hand of godfather almighty and hence he should come, i believe the ghost, the holy catholic church, the, the cummions of saints and life ever lasting amen. our father who are in heaven, hallow be thy name, thy will be done on our earth as it is in

heaven, give us our day our daily bread and forgive our trespasses and forgive those who trespass against us and kingdom is the glory forever and ever amen. >> almighty god thine elect in mystical body of thy son christ our lord, grant besiege thee to church, thy and thy peace. amen. grant all that have been baptized may die to sin and rise to newness of live and through the grave and death we may pass through him to joyful

resurrection. amen. grant to us who are still in our pillgramage that the holy spirit lead us no all our days. amen. granted faithful people that we may be cleansed by all since and serve thee with quiet mind. grant those who have confidence in thy fatherly care, may know the consolation of thy love. give courage and faith to those who may have strength to meet the days ahead in the comfort of a reasonable and holey hope in the joyful expectation of eternal life with those they love. amen. help us we pray in the midst of things we cannot understand to believe in trust and the comm

communion of saints and live ever lasting. amen. grant increasing knowledge and love of thee barbara may go from strength to strength in the life of perfect service in thy heavenly kingdom. grant us with all who have died in the hope of a resurrection to have consummation and die eternal and ever lasting glory and with all thy saints to receive the crown of life which thou has promised to all have shared in victory of thy jesus christ, one god forever and ever. amen. please be seated. >> and when she shall die, take her and cut her out in little

stars and she will make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with the night and pay no worship to the garish son. >> our service continues with the middle of page 8.

give rest, dear christ with servants with sorrow and pain are no more, need the sign but ever lasting, you only have immortal, the creator and maker of mankind and we are formed to have earth and to earth shall we return so you did when you created me saying, you are dust and to dust you shall return, all of us go down to the dust yet even at the grave we make our song hallelujah, hallelujah, give rest to christ to your servant with your saints for sorrow and pain no more, life ever lasting. and into your hands merciful

savior servant barbara, sheep of our own fold, lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming, receive bar into the arms of your mercy and the blessed rest of ever lasting peace and into the glorious company of the saints in light, amen. we are about to receive a blessing from the bishop to have great episcopal of state of texas and i will offer dismissal and by direction of barbara bush we will sing joyful, joyful, we adore thee as the family and choir depart. at the conclusion i would ask that everyone else be seated and please not leave until you are directed to do so by the ushers.

bishop. >> onto god's gracious mercy and protection, we commit you. the lord bless you and keep you. the lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious onto you. the lord lift up the light upon you and give you peace and may the blessing of god almighty the father, the son and the holey ghost be amongst you and remain with you always. amen. >> let us go forward in the name of christ. >> thanks be to god. ♪ ♪ ♪

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♪ ♪ shepard: celebrating the life of the first lady of the greatest generation with a nod to john meachum, the presidential historian. i'm shepherd smith outside of st. martin episcopal church with thousands gather and officers line the street on a cloudy and looks like it might rain day. ly tell you, though, earlier i was speaking to assistant pastors at the church who said to me quietly in aa -- a room across the street, it would take a lot of nerve to rain on barbara's funeral. we shall see.

if barbara were here would say let's move it along. she's in longer in control. these are the law enforcement officers out front and there the top of the towering cathedral, the episcopal church, the bush's worship home for 50 years. seeing them altogether, presidents and first ladies celebrating the life of barbara bush, quite an event to enjoy. over the next hour bret hue will join us, dana perino but first a life that has worked at fox news channel for 21 years, before that worked in midland and odessa and waco, mike emanuel,

friends of and covers the bush's for such a long time, your thoughts on what barbara bush would have thought of this day? >> she talked about what she wanted. she picked her son jeb bush to say one of the eulogies. it struck me as classic bush, if you will, where she said she wanted a simple service, i would call it dignified and not over the top, but some family, faith and friendship. ♪ ♪ ♪

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shepard: we are watching as they are attempt to go get all the guests and family members on the vehicles to drive to college station, the campus of university in the bush library where final salutes will be had and final farewells will be said

and barbara bush will be next to her daughter. mike emanuel long covered the bush's, it's hard after we witnessed today to know exactly what to say about a woman who trance -- was spectacular leader in her own rite. >> wife of the 44th president, mother of 43rd president. the things we saw near government, president bush was at the time the u.s. ambassador to beijing, moving all of the time and barbara bush had this big family, lots of children and kept it all together and they finally refer today her as the enforcer, not in a mean-spirited sort of way, somebody who kept the kids going in the right direction while her husband was

off having incredible career, and so really someone remarkable if you look at modern history to be that close to power and a close confidant of two presidents and very close with the 42nd president who considering that he defeated george bush, they treated him like a son now.

shepard: again, heading towards college station. i want to tell you about the media pass from today, this is the pass that everyone was given who works this event today and on the back is written, quote from barbara bush, the home is the child's first school, the parent is the child's first teacher and reading is the child's first subject. everyone with whom i've spoken today who knew barbara bush well for sometimes years, some cases a lifetime, that that's what they -- barbara bush would want us talking about today. barbara bush wants those of us who sit in places like this and talk to you at home suggest that

if you want to google literacy in america google barbara bush foundation and see if there's a way you can put a book in the hands of a child because literacy barbara bush said, america can be a better place and we can be a more complete people. bret baier, father himself and one who -- who pushes such causes with us is live in washington. bret, you've been covering the bush family for a couple of white houses, your thoughts on today? >> well, shep, i think it was a final good-bye, celebration of barbara bush's life, matriarch of one of the families of the world, baker said she was the secret sauce that kept the giant family so cohesive. what struck me about the ceremony, a mix of formality and fun. it was tradition and reverence

and little bit of saddens and stories about humor. i was struck, shep, in the couple of days covering this since her death on tuesday by three specific images, one of them the family spokesperson jim posted a photo, this one right here of president george h.w. bush, their daughter behind them there, and just that moment captured that love affair, the love story, the partnership that was so much part of the family. the second image, you heard robin mention several times from former governor bush, robin was their daughter who died died frm lieu luekemia. barbara bush at the pearly gates

in heaven. this went viral. the family embraced this. i thought that was interesting. finally, the last one is neil and maria, maria is the son of george and barbara bush and daughter-in-law maria welcomed a new grandchild two days after barbara bush died, she didn't get the meet the eighth great grandchild but neil said the circle of life got its good. those struck me today and amazing ceremony, shep. shepard: bret, we will be back with more, before we leave, viewers watching in fox network stations, jeb bush who said moments ago, quoting his mother from final days saying i believe in jesus and he's my savior, i

don't want to leave your father but i'm going to a better place. in celebration of barbara pierce bush. to regular programming on fox and my network television stations on coverage continues on fox news channel on satellite cable. i'm shepherd smith, fox news in houston, texas. and continuing now on fox news channel, let's bring in professor barbara perry, coeded a book and got a chance to meet barbara bush, professor perry is also director of presidential studies at the university of virginia miller center, she's written books on topics including presidents and first ladies and celebrates was today the life of barbara bush. ma'am, thanks so much, your thoughts. >> well, i think it's already been said but i will repeat. i think the ceremony really was exactly the epitome of the bush's, it was gracious and dignified and very much a part of geographic roots. it was low episcopal in setting

and very new england and north eastern and then with that touch of humor that barbara bush always lent to every occasion including my brief meeting with her as you said six months ago down at the bush library. shepard: barbara bush, they talked about the enforcer today, another way to put it, a glue, this is a huge family with lots of interests and so many responsibilities here in houston and across the country and around the world. i wonder if you have a clue of how she was able to keep it altogether? >> the bush's don't like to use the word dynasty because it violates north eastern modesty but the kennedy's had it and the roosevelt's and adamson's, there was mention of abigail adams,

the other first lady who produced a son who became president, all of these matirarchs, adams and roosevelt and rose kennedy and now barbara bush, we look at them as the glue that keeps the families together because first of all they have strong personalities and often times their husbands are becoming great men, great businessmen, great lawyers on the way to becoming presidents of the united states. these women, we should say not just great matriarchs, but the traditional role for ages and particularly of women of the world war ii era, they were the home makers and making a live for the large families. it's just being there, showing up, that they were there and certainly barbara bush was there but also as was quoted from john

meachum saying president bush said about barbara bush, she was the rock, she was the rock of the family and i thought it was also fascinating that he said about himself that he was often sort above and aloof, again, a little bit perhaps yankee persona but that he was physically away making his way in the world as oil man, businessman and ultimately becoming president of the united states, but it was barbara bush who was that rock and that glue to mix our metaphors, keeping that family together, through her strong personality and her discipline and her enforcement strategy. shepard: barbara perry from new york studio. barbara thank you so much, i appreciate it r. >> happy to be with you. shepard: mrs. bush spoke once on feminism and said in 1986 to chicago tribune and i'm quoting here, i've been brought up in a family where if your husband wanted to do something, you'd do it and gladly, i still think there's nothing really wrong with that, i would say the same

if a wife wanted to do something very badly, her husband should do the same. mrs. bush with lots of quotes along the way, boast known as the matriarch of the family, enforcer as they put it today and certainly a leader in her own right and one who made so many friends through the political world, the world of tale -- television and beyond, i've been joined by a couple of friends who were inside and were guests at today's event. brit hume, the teaching hospital that this is. senior politics analyst, i believe now, but today just a friend -- today a friend of all of us and the bush family and dana perino who was bush press secretary and got to know the family well. i was watching today in awe for

all of the love for this woman. >> it was wonderful to sort of sit for a couple of hours and just be thoughtful. this week has been so busy with everyone wanting to pay her tribute and then for a moment then to put away your phone and the news and all of that and to just focus on her. i thought the service was perfect. i think she would have loved it. there was a lot of humor, a lot of talk family and love story about her and george h.w. bush, to be reminded to meet at 16, 17 year's old and him go to world war ii and for her to wait for him and create amazing family. i did have a lot of sense that there was a reunion going on, staff that had worked together way back when he even ran for congress and i met a woman, i don't think he will mind me

saying, her name was flo, she volunteered for mrs. bush during those years, she was also a flight attendant and years ago apparently, i don't know -- there was four packs of cigarettes and she use today gather them up on the plane and when george w. was heading back he would work with flo to get the cigarettes back in. it was a lot of lovely stories and touching moments and i think she would have enjoyed all of these people being together in celebration. shepard: you spoke of her character. >> it was decor of who and what she was. people could see it and probably the main reason why she was so admired because she wasn't an ordinary person. this was woman beloved by millions and i think because people could see that all the rest of that whether they cared for that sort of thing or not, she was somebody they could

admire and look up to and she had standards and when you were around her, you didn't know what the standards were, shep. you were always a little afraid you might be stepping on one. as much as i admired her, i was afraid of her because i was afraid -- i remember being at a state dinner during president bush's term and she had an evening dress that was about mini skirt length or higher. i thought it looked great, mrs. bush i was informed was not amused. the service was bush family even though it's down here in the heart of texas, this was an old rite episcopal service that barbara bush and george bush knew as young people and all their lives. these were people from new england who grew up in the episcopal when everyone they

knew belonged in the episcopal church. a mammoth church. great choir, very powerful service. i was honored to be there. shepard: as we watched, i thought about what it was that barbara bush would want that in contrast to what happened today and my guess was she planned it all out herself. >> she did. shepard: her friends were telling me before that as a week ago she was making changes to it. >> up till the night before she died that she was talking and lucid and having a drink. not everybody gets to be 92 when they die either. you think about the family, shep, obviously there's grief, there has to be, but i detect in all conduct a sense of enormous

gratitude that she lived so long and so well and she was not -- she didn't really suffer at tend of her life terribly the way some people do, she died with great dignity and on her own terms, rare and blessed thing. shepard: 41 was with maria, it's worth the google, i thought it was quite nice and part of what i've been taking from this family over the last few days is this is how you can act when people live full and wonderful life pass, this is a way to celebrate. >> one of the things that she talked and several others did too is that she had a great faith, she believes in after life, she said that her soul will be okay and that everybody else could go on, live life, live it with love and humor. i was thinking she play sod many different roles, john meachum

talked about the 63-year-old man who learn today read and read from the constitution but he was nervous and that she really lived her faith, she wanted to help others and never spoke disparagingly about anybody else. it might feel old fashion but it actually is, part of the living faith that she walked and that she expected from her children. shepard: it's not as if there was a side eye like today's -- >> that's true. >> there certainly was. something you lived in fear of. interesting about her i don't think she was afraid at the end. there's no evidence that she was and i sense, they always say that every funeral is a commemoration of a life, i think that was true in this case in particular. she lived so long, lived so well, so beloved and tended on her own terms. i worry and i think we all do

about him at his advanced age, unwell in a wheelchair and they were so together so much of their lives, every time you saw them through the years, they were side by side, holding hands, it was just the way they were, it was a very close and extraordinarily successful marriage and for her now to be gone from the center of his life i think will be hard for him now and we can all, you know, think about him and pray for him. shepard: bret, showed a picture of 41 before anyone came to the sanctuary today, may have been lying in her pose yesterday and talk about just that as she died he held her hand and whoever went first, that's the way it should have been. >> i think so. you know, think of him as unwell as he is and old as he is and pained as he may be at his time, he was over here yesterday while she's lying in the pose, greeting people who came off the streets to pay respects.

shepard: extraordinary man. only two years older than my father, he's doing very well. thank you all, quick commercial break, our coverage continues celebrating the life of barbara pierce bush on fox news channel right after this. >> i have no fear of death which is a huge comfort because we are getting darn close and i don't have a fear of death for my precious george or myself because i know that there is a great god and i'm not worried about that. i don't like it for young people, but i know we will see robin again one way or another and our families, so i have no fear of death (phone ping) gentlemen, i have just received word!

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in just two weeks! i'll take that. -yeeeeeah! ensure high protein. with 16 grams of protein and 4 grams of sugar. ensure. always be you. >> one to have reasons i made the most important decisions of my life to marry george bush is because he made me laugh, that shared laughter has been one to have strongest bond, find the joy in life because as farah bueler said, life moves pretty fast and you don't stop and look once in a while, you will miss it. shepard: today celebrating her life with brit