next, a 2013 interview with mrs. bush. >> barbara bush, with all the posts you and your husband have held over the years, was there one that best prepared you for the white house, and when you became first lady, did you feel prepared? mrs. bush: yes, i really did. first, i wasn't elected, so it didn't make that much difference. i did notice the difference between being the vice president's wife and the president's wife is huge, because the vice president's wife can say anything. nobody cares. the minute you say one thing as president's wife, you have made news. that was a lesson i had to learn pretty quickly. i felt very prepared because we have lived in washington off and on. my father-in-law had been a u.s. senator, although we lived in texas. i was very comfortable. i had a loving family, and so did george, and i think we felt comfortable, so i love being the wife of the vice president best of all, but -- >> why is that? mrs. bush: you could say anything you wanted, and nobody cared, and you can do a lot of great thing

mrs. bush: i do not remember that. i do remember when george was running for president on the freeway, going from new york to connecticut, i saw someone with a sign that said "bush for president." i was so excited. and when i got the car, i raced my car up to be close it. our cousin.to be i hoped it was a stranger. but nobody knew who he was. >> mrs. bush, did you enjoy campaigning? mrs. bush: yes. i really liked people. and it was fun. i liked it a lot. funny things happened, and i really enjoyed it. best, and i the knowinged for george w. full well he was not going to win, and he did. >> do you think there is room for another bush in the white house? as. bush: i think this is great american country, great country, and if we cannot find three familiesr to run for higher office, that is silly. greatare great governors, eligible people to run, and i think kennedys, clintons, bushes, there are more families than that, and i am not arrogant enough to think that we alone are raising -- that we are raising public servants, w

[laughter] mrs. bush: guess how i know? [cheers and applause] mrs. bush: known for "the color purple." instead you got me, known for the color of my hair. [laughter] mrs. bush: alice walker's book has a special purpose, for four years, the class of 1990 has warned the color purple and today you say goodbye to all of that. to begin a new and personal journey to search for your own true colors. in the world that awaits you beyond the shores of lake waldbaum, no one can say what your true colors will be. this i do know, you have a first-class education from a first-class cool. you need not and probably cannot live a paid my numbers life. decisions are not your revocable and choices to come back. as you set off, i hope many of you will consider making three very special choices. the first is to believe in something larger than yourself. to get involved with some of the big ideas of our time. i chose literacy because i honestly believe it is more people can read and write and comprehend, we would be that much closer to solving so many of the problems that

mrs. bush knew well her vision of a first lady's role. >> i think the person who has the courage to run for the office is the one you should hear. not the wife or the husband. having said that, of course i told george how i felt. >> reporter: for george and barbara, their more than 60 years together included decades of devotion. this letter to her written by george while he was serving in world war ii. >> i love you, precious, with all my heart. 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. >> reporter: two of those children would solidify the bush political dynasty as president and florida governor. but in a surprising comment in 2013, as talk of a presidential run by jeb swirled, the matriarch told nbc's "today" show there should be a limit on the family's white house claim. >> there are other people out there that are very qualified and we've had enough bushes. >> reporter: after jeb did decide to run

. >> reporter: mrs. bush requested a simple funeral. >> no fuss, just fenriends and family including her husband of 73 years who held her hand until the end. he greeted the public yesterday as they paid their respects to mrs. bush >> it was an emotional time. >> high profile names on the guest list, the obamas and the clintons and melania trump. president trump will not attend. as for the simple service, mrs. bush's children and grandchildren is expected to offer readings from the bible and honor the memory of the

chuck schumer tweeting mrs. bush personify grace and class as first lady and she will be missed and i send my heartfelt condolences to the bush family. nancy pelosi says mrs. bush brought dignity, civility and spirit everything she did. her strength of character, strength of principles and strength of her faith were a great gift to our nation. bill clinton got close to the bushes after that election battle, barbara bush was a remarkable woman with grace, brains and beauty, she was fierce and feisty in support of her family and friends, country and causes blue showed what an honest vibrant full life looks like. hillary and i mourn her passing and bless her memory. a former deputy assistant to george w. bush, still knows the bush family quite well. what pops out about mrs. bush? >> a consummate first lady. don't warn me, celebrate me, the luckiest person in the world, and 73 years, and lived in the best country in the world and served the greatest nation. mrs. bush was somebody, a class, dignity, cared about people. ne

mrs. bush is being remembered this morning for her straight talk and devotion to family and public service. she was married for over 73 years to former president george h.w. bush, who was at her side when she died. courtney zubowski is in houston. courtney, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. outside the family home, people have been stopping by, dropping off flowers, and sharing memories of the former first lady. barbara bush has done so much for people here in houston, across the country, and around the world. as first lady barbara bush took up the cause of child and adult literacy. >> if more people could read, write, and comprehend, we would be that much closer to solving so many of the problems that plague our nation. >> reporter: but it was her role as mother of six and wife of former president george h.w. bush that was most important to her. >> i'm the mother of wonderful children and the wife of the world's greatest man. >> reporter: a family spokesman took to twitter t

mrs. bush comes running down. not only yelled at him for being out late but this agent told me, he said, you go apologize to that agent. you need to be more polite. he came out and said my mom said i need to apologize to you. says a lot about a young george w. bush. as you said, she laid down the law. she was powerful but she treated everybody -- >> the secret service put out a statement. they had a real love for them. the people who worked for the bushes really express that and her code name was tranquility with the secret service. george w. bush used to say he had his father's eyes and his mother's mouth. they knew the language, she was going to come back with a quip. i will say she wrote a lengthy letter to her children that she never sent, but she published her memoir in which she advised them. she said "for heaven sake, enjoy life. don't cry over things that were or things that aren't. enjoy what you have now to the fullest. in all honesty, you really only have two choices. you can like wh

george, mrs. bushe 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

from rye, mrs. bush'srobably didn't have those kinds of things 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 the 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 house to camp david to walker's point, in hours of war and of peace, of tumult and a calm, the bushes governed in a spirit of congeniality. of civility, and of 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 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, al

george, mrs. bushe 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 out ur nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. for this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure. because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is 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 hands, eternal in the heavens. for in this tent we groan, 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 groan under our burden. because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed. so that w

mrs. bushas remembered for her kindness and her common touch. one historian saying that despite reaching the heights of power and fame, she never lost her sense of humanity in helping those who needed it most. >> 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. molly: then it was time for one last journey, the motorcade making its way to the george h. w. bush presidential library at texas a&m university, the final resting place of barbara bush. mike emmanuel is live in houston, but we start with alicia acuna on the campus of texas a&m university in college station. >> molly, at the request of the bush family, we the media have moved our live location away from the presidential library because for the rest of the day, it will be a quiet place. today's burial was a

plays out about mrs. bush is about a role she had in her own family, about the bush clan saying she was known as "the enforcer." she might to say that have been a lot of other people's grandmother, jeb bush said, but she was our drill sergeant when we work growing up. by her account, she had evolved from a shy, socially square 16-year-old girl, smitten at the of her 17-year-old future husband. within a few years, they would leave behind their lives of wealth and privilege in the northeast as george h.w. bush texast his fortune as a oilman before winning a congress and will seat -- congressional seat in 1966. according to the book "the bushes: portrait of a dynasty," years maintained and meticulously curated a network of tens of thousands of contacts and friends that she saved on index cards for social and fundraising reasons. by the time the bushes got to the white house and had automated the cardfile, they had 10,000tmas card list -- names, according to the paper this morning. mississippi, you are next. this

[laughter] >> mrs. bushly, endured the loss of a daughter to leukemia and kept everything and everyone together. as the wife of one president and the mother of another, she holds the 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 house to camp david to walker's point, hours bushes and calm, the govern ied in a spirit of congeniality, civility and praise. instinctively generous, barbara and george bush put country above party, the common good above the lyrical gain, -- political gain, and service to others above the settling 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. [laughter] >> and a letter to barbara during the war, geor

lush, and -- mrs. bush and i told this story and mrs. bush looked across the table looked me in the eye, and i've said here comes the motherly sympathy. [laughter] here it comes. she said how do think poor josh gresham -- jon grissom would feel? he is a very handsome man. 2. i was 0 for funny was a fair and point. known as barbara, as mom, his mother, as the silver fox and as the enforcer. she was candid and comforting,

reporters came to mrs. bush, remember all this controversy, hanging chads, florida, florida, florida. they persevered and george bush was elected our president. naturally, reporters were excite. they approached our first laity and said, mrs. bush, in your heart of hearts, in your wildest dreams, did you think one of your sons could become our president? hold the same office that your husband had for four years? and barbara, being straight-talking barbara, said, i'm paraphrasing, yes, sir. my boys watched their dad achieve the highest office in the world. they knew what it took. it took determination. focus. friends. faith. my sons saw that in their father. they knew what it would take. and so yes, i thought one of my sons could become our president. of course then she gave the coup de grace, the classic barbara bush, she said, i had -- i have to be honest with you, though, i thought it would be my smart son. eaning jeb bush, not george w. that comment was true love and that's what barbara bush was all about. one

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

george, mrs. bushthe great old age , lost in reminiscence, 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. horsley, you are the reason. >> a reading from the second level of paul. so we do not lose heart, even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inter-nature is being renewed day by day -- inner nature is being renewed day by day. this is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory, beyond all measure because we look not at what can be seen, but what cannot be seen. for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. tente know, if the earthly we live in is destroyed, we have a building from god, a house not , paternal and the heavens. we long to be closed with our heavenly we will not be so naked. for while we are still in this tent, we grow under our burden because we wish not to be unclothed to be further cloth

i left mrs. bush alone. during the restoration, my grandparents lived at blair house, which i went through this afternoon. i had not been there since i was 16 years old. my father took us over there one afternoon after listening to the watergate hearings for an hour. we had had enough and went to blair house. my father scared a couple of russian security guys looking

famous one. >> yeah, mrs. bushout to greet him, we had just gone in to begin the summer vacation and i saw that moment and it just really touched me and the last couple of days i've seen that image pop up in the news and i almost have to turn away because i can't look at it, it just breaks my heart. shepard: when and where was she at her happiest, at her best, mrs. bush? >> you know, she loved to garden and she had a garden out in front of the house at walker's point. she loved to do that. they seemed to have a lot of joy with the grandchildren. i took a photo of them in bed with the grandchildren one time and it was actually her idea, she said, come on by one morning about 6:00 o'clock in the morning and see what happens and i got there and sat on the end of the bed and the grandchildren started coming in and i stood up and snapped a few photos and ran two full pages in life magazine. shepard: wow, so this isn't the kind of thing they would stage, that's real life. >> that's every morning. shepard: every morning.

he spoke to mrs. bush in 1988, her first interview after her husband announced he would run for president. bob is with us from washington. so good to have you with us this morning. you think about barbara bush and one of the things that comes to mind is her kids calling her the enforcer. >> and she really was. i mean, any one of them would tell you that their father, they respected him greatly and they always worried about disappointing him, but they were scared of her. i can tell you that for a fact. they loved her to death, but she was the one who made the rules in the family, and she was the one who enforced them. i'm telling you she could stare down a grizzly bear, but at the same time she loved children and she loved to be around them. when visitors used to come to kennebunkport in the summertime, she would sometimes sit a 10 or 12-year-old child next to the president of the united states. she was interested in all children and especially her children and her grandchildren. >> bob, what struck you abo

her grandson is sharing the family's comfort knowing mrs. bush lived a full and happy life and found peace through her faith. >> it was a life well lived. i will say because of her peace is more peace than we probably would be otherwise. >> reporter: mrs. bush will be laid to rest on the grounds of the presidential library at college station, she will be buried neied next to the couple daughter who died when she was three from leukemia. natalie brunell, abc 7 news. >>> natalie, thank you for the live report. the white house released a statement saying 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. >>> abc news will provide live coverage of the funeral starting at 9:00 this morning. >> back here in the bay area.

thoughts and prayers with the friends and family of mrs. bush. >> barack obama wrote, "we'll always be grateful to mrs. for the generosity she -- mrs. bush for the generosity she showed throughout our time in the white house, we're even more grateful for the way she lived her life as a testament to the fact that public service was an important and noble calling." >> and the clintons said, "mrs. bush had grit and brains, was fierce and feisty in support of her family and friends, showing what an honest, vibrant, full of life looks like." >> mrs. bush known for her fiestiness during her speech at wellesley college which was controversial in massachusetts. she encouraged students to believe in something larger than yourself and added unexpected wisdom from the classic 1980s film, "ferris bueller's day off." ♪ >> find the joy in life because as ferris bueller said on his day off, life movement pretty fast, and you can't stop and look around once in a while, you're going to miss it. >> former first lady barbara bush dead at the age of 92. >>> breakin

the most popular first lady of our time, mrs. bush has used the visibility and clout of her position to work untiringly to heal wounds and combat evils. her work is best known in the field of literacy where she has moved all of us to new levels of awareness and concern. she's determined to bring the privilege, practicality and pleasure of reading to the 25 million americans who face each day the humiliation and isolation of illiteracy. barbara bush's talents as an organizer are recognized by her . mily and friends one of her sons called her the chief operating officer. she has shown the qualities of hands-on leadership in her work with many organizations the united negro college fund, the leukemia society, the march of dimes, the salvation army, as well as in the struggle against aids and homelessness and the breakup of families. mrs. bush has worked in public and even more often she has worked behind the scenes. caring more about what she accomplishes than what she is given credit for. those who know her best admire her most. and the

. >> yeah, mrs. bush passed away at her home in houston at age 92 surrounded by her family members. her son, the former president, george w. bush called his mother a woman unlike any other saying she kept them on their toes and kept them laughing until the end. >> abc's janai norman is in washington where president trump paid tribute to mrs. bush ordering flags lowered to half-staff overnight. janai, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. and as you can imagine, so many people expressing condolences to the bush family on social media, and her husband, former president george h.w. bush, is said to be heartbroken. the two of them married longer than any other presidential couple in american history. she was an american icon, matriarch of a political dynasty. >> i hated it when anyone criticized my brilliant husband, and i was furious when they criticized my son. >> reporter: one of only two first ladies who was also the mother of a president, barbara bush was fiercely loyal and quick-witted. >> and speaking of glamour, i want you to look at me very carefully. >> reporter: and humble,

i think one of the most telling aspects of mrs. bush children into her total grandchildren count. and treated them as if she was -- as if those children had always been a part of her family. and i think that that was -- that showed her character, it showed her love of family, and neil selected maria and, by extension, the family embraced maria and her children. >> you saw dora bush and her father there sitting together, comforting him. george h.w. bush, 93 years old, in that wheelchair. >> yes, and dora's always been very special, obviously the only girl, she's able to go up and spend the entire summer with her parents. she is -- she plays in some ways the stereotypical daughter role of, you know, the old adage of your sons will make sure your rent is paid but your daughters will make sure you're fed. she's certainly stepped up and always taken on that role and loved her parents dearly. the way she was just stroking her father's back, just continued to show that she's embracing that position. >> and what was really good for us, you know

mrs. bush was the wife of 73 years to president george h.w. bush, and the mother of president george w. bush and is remembered tonight as a fierce and loyal defender of her family. here's nbc's peter alexander with more on her remarkable life. >> reporter: barbara bush, the former first lady was always known to be candid and caring. with her white air and signature pearls, she was often thought of as the nation's favorite grandmother. aides called her the national treasure. the treasure, for surer shosur short. >> reporter: it was her husband who saw her as matter of fact and lovingly calling her miss frank. >> she earned and won the respect of a lot of people because they saw her what she is. down to earth, loving mother and setting an example with no bull about it. >> reporter: but mrs. bush saw herself more in the role of family enforcer, something hor granddaughter teased her about. >> why do you think we call you the enforcer? >> because i enforce. if you do something bad, i point it out to you. >> reporter: wickedly funny, on sarah palin,

from rye, mrs. bush'ser daughter on the grounds that they probably didn't have that kind of thing in west texas. raised a family. endured the loss of a daughter to leukemia. and kept everything and everyone together. the wife of one president and the mother of another, she that the distinction belongs to only one other american in the long history of the republic. abigail adams who is present at creation. from the white house to camp david to walkers point, in hours and of peace, the bushes overned in a spirit of congeniality, civility and of grace. instinctively generous. george bush put country above party. he common good above political gains and service to others above the settling of scores. the couple had met at a hristmas 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, wanted to throw up when they heard that. in

mrs bush was the wife of george bush senior and the mother of george w bush. george hw bush described her as a relentless proponent of family literacy. mrs bush, the only woman to have seen her husband and son sworn in as us president, had been unwell for some time and had declined further medical treatment. she said she wanted to spend her last days in comfort care with her family. laura trevelyan looks back at her life. barbara bush was a commanding matriarch. only the second woman in american history to be both the wife of a president and the mother of one. she was married to the 41st occupant of the white house and raised the a3rd. born barbara pierce, she met george hw bush at a school in world war ii. barbara was credited with helping his political career by keeping a cardfile of everyone he ever met. it all paid off when george hw bush was elected, first vice president to ronald reagan and then president. the office of president of the united states... barbara wore her trademark pearls at his inauguration, confiding they hid the wrinkles in her neck. it

mrs. bushd the last part of the movie and calls the puppies the cutest thing you've ever seen. marshall bush is a safe bet as one future owner. abc news, the white house. >> and millie, one of millie's little puppies came back to the white house as george w. bush's dog. >> there is a park in houston named after millie. the legend continues. >>> this is abc's "world news now," informing insomniacs for two decades. now," informing insomniacs for two decades. >>> good morning. i'm diane macedo. >> i'm kendis gibson. here are some of the top headlines we're following on "world news now." barbara bush, the former first lady has passed away at the age of 92. she's being remembered for her charm and candor. we'll have much more on her life and legacy coming up. >>> officials confirm that cia director mike pompeo secretly traveled to north korea and met with kim jong un over easter weekend. it was part of an effort to set up a summit meeting between president trump and the leader. >>> evacuations are u

we've had enough bushes. >> reporter: mrs. bush, of course, already had a place in history. the only woman since abigail adams. >> president of the united states. >> reporter: to marry one president. >> i george walker bush -- >> reporter: and give birth to another. >> he has his daddy's eyes and his mother's mouth. [ laughter ] which means i'm about to talk a lot. >> reporter: born barbara pierce, she grew up in rye, new york. her father marvin pierce, a distant relative of franklin pierce, publisher of red's mccaul's magazine. at 16 she met george bush, one year her senior at a christmas dance at round hill club in greenwich, connecticut. >> i could hardly breathe i thought he was so beautiful. >> reporter: they were secretly engaged and three years later married when he was home on leave from the navy. reluctantly admitting she married the first person she'd ever kissed. >> strange, i admit. >> still staying with your story? >> reporter: after the war they headed for texas, raising six children. and while her husband built his oil business, barbara bush was very much in ch

then i realized, it was mrs. bush. [laughter] mr. daniel: i almost pulled the president's grandson move, i thought it was going to run over and introduce myself but there were armed men around her so i decided it was probably not a good idea in my condition. i left mrs. bush alone. during the restoration, my grandparents lived at blair house, which i went through this afternoon. i had not been there since i was 16 years old. my father took us over there one afternoon after listening to the watergate hearings for an hour. we had had enough and went to blair house. my father scared a couple of russian security guys looking under tables for bugs because of a diplomat who was staying there. my dad leaned in and said good morning at the top of his lungs and one of the guys hit his head. [laughter] mr. daniel: my grandparents liked warehouse because it was easier. it was smaller, more like a family home. they did not have to entertain as much. life was easier and it was a very tense time for my rant father, the korean war and a host of oth

mrs. bush was one of only two women and american history to find herself both the wife of the president and the mother of another president. there was also tragedy. she had six children including a daughter, robin who died of leukemia at the age of three, more than 60 years ago. the rest of her life, the memory made her cry. other than that, barbara bush was not one for weaving in public. she was a lifelong advocate of good taste and self-restraint. brit hume knew her well for many years. 38 years, and he joins us tonight. what did you make of barbara bush? >> she was a woman of enormous character. she adored her husband and i always had this sense in seeing them together that she never could quite get enough of him, that he was such a gregarious man, he had so many friends and people like him and he liked people and there was never quite enough of him to go around as far as she was concerned. of course, as was mentioned and bill clinton's statement we just saw on the air a few minutes ago, she

mrs. bush and i told this story and mrs. bush looked across the table looked me in the eye, and i've said here comes the motherly sympathy. [laughter] here it comes. she said how do think poor josh gresham -- jon grissom would feel? he is a very handsome man. 2. i was 0 for funny was a fair and point. known as barbara, as mom, his mother, as the silver fox and as the enforcer. she was candid and comforting, steadfast and straightforward. honest and loving. ladyra bush was the first of the greatest generation. as a fiance and then the wife of a world war ii naval aviator she waited and prayed into the night. during the war she worked at he notes and both factory in port chester new york, and she joined george bush in the great adventure of texas. 1948, 70 augusta in summers ago. was sent boxes of soap and detergent to her thatter on the grounds they probably did not have that kind of thing in west texas. indoorsh raise a family, the loss of a daughter to leukemia. and kept everyone and every thi

mrs. bush was asked to speak at wellesley commencement ceremony, students protested claiming she wasn't feminist enough. >> somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who one day may follow in my footsteps and preside over the white house as the president's spouse. and i wish him well. >> reporter: that savviness made her a force on the campaign trail well into her 'nineties. mrs. bush gave one of her last television interviews to cnn while stumping for her son jeb. >> what do you think of donald trump? >> i don't think of him. i am sick of him. >> reporter: classic barbara bush. this was her response to sarah palin's presidential hopes. >> i think she is happy in alaska and hope she stays there. >> he is by far the best qualified men, but there are other people out there that are very qualified and we have had enough bushes. >> reporter: she also broke the news to supreme court clarence thomas that he had the job before her husband picked him. >> i greeted her and she said congratulati

trump, it was lovely for mrs. bush. mrs. p had the former staff that worked for the bushes staff waiting for her when she got there and she's bringing several of the residents staff today who worked for 41 and 43. so there's a connection between people and families that have lived in that house that's very different than anything that happens on the campaign trail. neil: well said, anita. i think it was michelle obama who said it best, her daughters, these kids are not democrats or republicans, they're just scared kids in a big old house and it's a scary house. >> that's right, that's right. well, neil, i respectfully ask to go in to pay tribute. neil: absolutely. >> i appreciate being able to share a few words about barbara bush. we loved her. neil: beautiful words. >> and thank you. thank you so much. neil: enjoy the service, anita. >> bye-bye. neil: outside of that fine church my friend shepard smith will be kicking off coverage in a little more than a half hour. some of the stories are so funny and warm and get back to th

mrs. bush. mrs. bush was beyond politics. she represented a far greater power. she represented the power and grace of a mother's love. her smile was genuine. her delight infectious. mrs. bush liked to laugh and she could convert easily with a mexican mother of seven as she could with a head of state. it made no difference. she was a true christian. i wanted to get your take, chris, on how some people feel like her passing is representing the end of an era of civility and bipartisanship. you take a longer view of these things. >> well, i think to anyway. as the father of young sons, it's important for me to take a longer view of this stuff. because if we give in to the belief that it's over, that things were good and now they are bad and never will be good again, then we're doomed. what we can do is take the example, in your writing on this, you did a beautiful job of instilling this. we have role models. we are given role models. in the generation that's passing on, in these folks passing on. p

mrs. bush's son, forme florida eovernor, jeb bush, delivered the eulogy, recalling the last time his mother and father were both hospitalized. >> 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 ngprove his breathing. he was wearing a hospital gown. in other words, he looked like hell. ( laughter ) mom opened her eyes and said, "my god, george! you are devastatingly handsome." ( laughter ) >> morgan: it was a day of laughter and tears. president george h.w. bush wore thcks that featured stacks of books in honor of his wife's femmitment to literacy. bianna golodryga has more on the emotional farewell to a first lady. h ♪ >> reporter: some 1,500 invited mourners packed st. martin's episcopal church, where mrs. bush and her husband attended services for over five decades. among those in attendance today included the clintons, the obamas, and first lady melania trump. her beloved husband of 73 years watched as their children and g

and mrs. bush and i said, my wife told me that i was not allowed to make any shoe jokes and the president's mouth and said, go ahead, everybody else's. [laughter] mr. daniel: that is the end of my presentation. [applause] mr. daniel: thank you. we have 10 minutes or so for questions. i realize this is that my peril, but go ahead. yes? >> [indiscernible] mr. daniel: wow. , i think so, not to the wrong degree. was a man fromes rome, called on to protect it from invaders twice. they offered him the laurel wreath and he said no, i have done my job, time to go home. my grandfather viewed the presidency as a set of tools to do the best he could. he often said, special interest groups, everybody has their own lobbyist, senators, congressmen, but most of the people in the united states have one lobbyist, and that is the president. so he did the best he could but he was happy to put the tools away. being president did not change him. it made him better, if anything, but it did not change him. and he went ho

i said, mrs. bush, just about everybody thinks you're pro-choice.nd i go, wait a minute, she's not saying she's pro-choice. and she could never be quoted as saying she's pro-choice and get her husband in trouble. i think she was a real politician in that way. honestly so. not everybody is always right, you know. >> you remind me, chris, that was the subject of so much speculation when she were in the white house. >> yeah. >> by the way, the pallbearers are all grandchildren. we see 41, 43, and the bush children behind that. and granddaughters. let us recede for this portion. ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> members of the huge and sprawling multigenerational bush family coming out of the back of the sanctuary. there will be a motorcade. burial is private. the bush library. chris, it's a beautiful facility. when you and i get together, we often in situations like this urge people to visit the presidential libraries in this country. and theirs is spectacular. >> they are a great institution. i've been to almost all of them, brian. and they're all different in their characte

chuck schumer saying mrs. bush personified grace and class as first lady and throughout her life, she will be missed. my heartfelt condolences to the bush family. our viewers sharing their thoughts and prayers, regardless of your politics you have to admire her poise and dignity. she was a wife and mother and protected her children with fierce tenacity even as adults. beth rating prayers of peace to the bush family especially her husband and friends, that was one classy lady. actress rosanne barr saying barbara bush said she thought it was a brave woman after my star-spangled banner fiasco. i never forgot that. it was sweet of her. barbara bush, one of the top trends on twitter even into this morning. jillian: barbara bush leaves behind a lasting legacy notably with her work on literacy. rob: steve ducey sat down with her to talk about teaching americans to read and the politics and much more. >> thank you for inviting us into your house. >> if you talk about literacy. >> if you don't mind i would like to do my imp

mrs. bush's children and grandchildren expected to offer readings from the bible and honor the memory of their beloved enforcer. her grandson's pearce is celebrating the comfort knowing that mrs. bush lived a full and happy life. >> it was a life really well-lived. our family because of her peace is more peace than we probably would be otherwise. >> reporter: mrs. bush will be laid to rest on the grounds of the george bush library in college station. that's about 90 miles northwest of houston. she will be buried alongside their daughter, robin, who died at the age of three from leukem leukemia. natalie brunell, nbc 7 news. . >> due to add security and respect for the bush family, president trump will not attend. >>> 6:03 is our time. a dozen people were taken to the hospital for a fentanyl related overdoses. abc 7 news reporter has the story. >> reporter: you never know when it will turn foggy at golden gate park except on april 20th. when everyone smoked at the same time, the sky turned blue and

mrs. bush died tuesday at the age of 92. this morning her husband of 73 years, former president george h.w. bush, arrived in a wheelchair tended to by their son, former president george w. bush. former presidents barack obama andto bill cl and former first ladies laura bush, mic hhelle obama, alary clinton attended the services at saint martin's episcopal church alonadg with current first melania trump. according to a white house statement president trump di not attend, "to avoid disruptions due to added security." t the president did tweet a photo of the former first lady's white use portrait, saying," today, my thoughts and prayers are with the entire bushmi ." e s. bush's twin granddaughter's participated in rvice, and she chose her close friend susan baker, historian jon meacham and her son jeb to diver the eulogies. the former florida governor remembered his mother as strict, but with a sense of humor. >> mom got us through difficult times with consistent, take it to the bank, unconditional, but tough love. she called he

barbara bush's health is failing and they are honoring mrs. bush's choice to remain home instead of seeking care at a hospital. cnn special correspondent jaime gingel is here. what are her health concerns this weekend? >> reporter: so what we are told, this is sad news, she's in failing health. while people know that her husband has parkinson's and has been in a wheelchair for quite some time, what i don't think most people are aware of is that she's been suffering from copd and from congestive heart failure for about two years now. and it has gotten progressively worse. now, barbara bush is very private. so the first thing she would say is, you shouldn't be making a big fuss about me. but the reality is, she's been in and out of the hospital several times recently, suffering from shortness of breath. and the fact that the copd has progressed, she was in the hospital on good friday for about a week to ten days. she got out this past tuesday, was doing a little bit better, but i'm told the last couple of days she really has been struggling. and so the