Political Elites Honor Beloved Barbara Bush At Her Funeral
April 21 2018, Published 4:37 p.m. ET
Barbara Bush's funeral on Saturday, April 21, at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston brought out America's political heavy hitters as they paid tribute to the beloved late wife of former President George H. W. Bush. The former FLOTUS died on Tuesday at age 92. Ex-Presidents Bill Clinton, with wife Hillary, and Barack Obama, with wife Michelle, sat in the front row next to President Donald Trump's spouse Melania. Scroll down RadarOnline.com's gallery for more!
Although President Trump, 71, has feuded with the Clintons and Obamas, Barack sat right next to Melania, 47, at Barbara's funeral. The current FLOTUS, who came alone, was spotted chatting and smiling with Barack, 56, before the service began.
NBC Today show star Jenna Bush, 36, sobbed in church as she eulogized her grandmother Barbara. She and her twin sister Barbara read biblical verses in the former First Lady's honor during the service.a
Barbara's fragile husband George, 93, looked devastated as he sat in the audience listening to the eulogy. He has suffered health woes in recent years. Barbara decided earlier this month not to seek further medical treatment for congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
More than 1,000 mourners, including George Jr.'s former Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State, sang "Amazing Grace" during the moving funeral.
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Barbara was one of only two American women to be both the wife and mother of U.S. Presidents with Georges 41 and 43. Funeral guests remembered her strength in the family and her candid, off-the-cuff banter. "She was smart, fun, and sassy," her longtime friend Susan Garrett Baker recalled to the crowd. "She inspired her children with tender love and firm lessons."
Jeb Bush's troubled daughter Noelle stood before the audience to pay tribute to grandma Barbara by reading biblical passages.
"I feel her looming presence behind me," Jeb told the laughing crowd about his tough as nails mother. Barbara's son said he knew his mother would have said, "Jeb, keep it short, don't drag this out…and most of all, don't get weepy" for the eulogy. But Jeb was getting teary-eyed and so was his father George while watching from a church pew. Barbara and George's son Jeb was governor of Florida, but his 2016 Presidential bid flopped after Donald Trump caused a sensation in the Republican party.
Jeb recalled during his mom's illness, his father George also had a health scare and they wound up in the hospital together. George Sr. looked terrible at the time, but Barbara told her husband, "My God, George, you are devastatingly handsome!," Jeb told the funeral mourners. The former Presidential candidate said his mother told him in her last days that she didn't want to leave his dad but knew she'd wind up in a beautiful place.
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