#Witness to Dignity: The Life and Faith of George H.W. and Barbara Bush | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

frontstreet1 · 6 years ago

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From left, President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton listen during a State Funeral at the National Cathedral, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Washington, for former President George H.W. Bush.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)

The flag-draped casket of former President George H.W. Bush is carried by a military honor guard past former President George W. Bush and wife Laura Bush, President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Jimmy Carter, and Rosalynn Carter during a State Funeral at the National Cathedral, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The flag-draped casket of former President George H.W. Bush is carried by a military honor guard during a State Funeral at the National Cathedral, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)

President Donald Trump shakes hands with former President Barack Obama during a State Funeral service for former President George H.W. Bush at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Visitors pay their respects at the flag-draped casket of former President George H.W. Bush, as he lies in state in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) AP RADIO Update hourly Ad

The hearse carrying the flag-draped casket of former President George H.W. Bush passes by the White House from the Capitol, heading to a State Funeral at the National Cathedral, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Washington. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin).

From right, former President George W. Bush, second from right, former first lady Laura Bush, Neil Bush, Sharon Bush, Bobby Koch, Doro Koch, Jeb Bush and Columba Bush, stand just prior to the flag-draped casket of former President George H.W. Bush being carried by a joint services military honor guard from the U.S. Capitol, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)

Map shows funeral procession route through Washington for President George H.W. Bush; 2c x 4 inches; with all related stories.

A final salute is rendered by the honor guard standing watch over the flag-draped casket of the late president, George H.W. Bush, as the public viewing comes to an end at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive at the state funeral of former President George H.W. Bush at the Washington National Cathedral (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

WASHINGTON — George H. W. Bush was celebrated with high praise and loving humor Wednesday as the nation bade farewell to the man who was America’s 41st president and the last to fight for the U.S. in wartime. Three former presidents looked on at Washington National Cathedral and a fourth — George W. Bush — eulogized his dad.

The congregation, filled with foreign leaders and diplomats, Americans of high office and others touched by Bush’s life, rose for the arrival of the casket, accompanied by clergy of faiths from around the world. In their row together, President Donald Trump and former Presidents Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton stood with their spouses and all placed their hands over their hearts.

Bush was “the last great-soldier statesman,” historian Jon Meacham said in his eulogy, “our shield” in dangerous times. On a light note, he added that Bush, campaigning in a crowd in a department store, once shook hands with a mannequin. Rather than flushing in embarrassment, he simply cracked, “Never know. Gotta ask.”

Meacham also praised Bush’s call to volunteerism — his “1,000 points of light” — placing it alongside Abraham Lincoln’s call to honor “the better angels of our nature” in the American rhetorical canon. Meacham called those lines “companion verses in America’s national hymn.”

Trump had mocked “1,000 points of light” last summer at a rally, saying “What the hell is that? Has anyone ever figured that one out? And it was put out by a Republican, wasn’t it?”

The national funeral service capped three days of remembrance in Washington before Bush’s remains return to Texas on Wednesday for burial Thursday.

A military band played “Hail to the Chief” as Bush’s casket was carried down the steps of the U.S. Capitol, where he had lain in state. Family members looked on as servicemen fired off a cannon salute.

His hearse was then driven in a motorcade to the cathedral ceremony, slowing in front of the White House. Bush’s route was lined with people much of the way, bundled in winter hats and taking photos.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive at the state funeral of former President George H.W. Bush at the Washington National Cathedral (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Waiting for his arrival inside, Trump shook hands with Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, who greeted him by saying “Good morning.” Trump did not shake hands with Bill and Hillary Clinton, who looked straight ahead.

Bill Clinton and Mrs. Obama smiled and chatted as music played. Carter was seated silently next to Hillary Clinton in the cavernous cathedral. Obama cracked up laughing at someone’s quip. Vice President Mike Pence shook Carter’s hand.

Trump tweeted Wednesday that the day marked “a celebration for a great man who has led a long and distinguished life.” Trump and his wife took their seats after the others, briefly greeting the Obamas seated next to them.

Also expected in the invitation-only crowd: Mike Lovejoy, a Kennebunkport electrician and fix-it man who has worked at Bush’s Maine summer estate since 1990 and says he was shocked and heartened to be asked to come.

On Tuesday, soldiers, citizens in wheelchairs and long lines of others on foot wound through the Capitol Rotunda to view Bush’s casket and honor a president whose legacy included World War military service and a landmark law affirming the rights of the disabled. Former Sen. Bob Dole, a compatriot in war, peace and political struggle, steadied himself out of his wheelchair and saluted his old friend and one-time rival.

After the national funeral service at the cathedral, Bush’s remains will be returned to Houston to lie in repose at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church before burial Thursday at his family plot on the presidential library grounds at Texas A&M University in College Station. His final resting place will be alongside Barbara Bush, his wife of 73 years who died in April, and Robin Bush, the daughter they lost to leukemia in 1953 at age 3.

Trump ordered the federal government closed Wednesday for a national day of mourning. Flags on public buildings are flying at half-staff for 30 days.

As at notable moments in his life, Bush brought together Republicans and Democrats in his death, and not only the VIPs.

Members of the public who never voted for the man waited in the same long lines as the rest, attesting that Bush possessed the dignity and grace that deserved to be remembered by their presence on a cold overcast day in the capital.

“I’m just here to pay my respects,” said Jane Hernandez, a retired physician in the heavily Democratic city and suburbs. “I wasn’t the biggest fan of his presidency, but all in all he was a good, sincere guy doing a really hard job as best he could.”

Bush’s service dog, Sully, was taken to the viewing, too — his main service these last months since Barbara Bush’s death in April being to rest his head on her husband’s lap. Service dogs are trained to do that.

The CIA also honored Bush, the only spy chief to become president, as three agency directors past and present joined the public in the viewing.

In the midst of the period of mourning, first lady Melania Trump gave Laura Bush, one of her predecessors, a tour of holiday decorations at the White House, a “sweet visit during this somber week,” as Mrs. Bush’s Instagram account put it. And the Trumps visited members of the Bush family at the Blair House presidential guesthouse, where they are staying. Former President George W. Bush and his wife greeted the Trumps outside before everyone went in for the private, 20-minute visit.

Although Trump will attend Bush’s service, he is not among the eulogists. They are, in addition to Bush’s eldest son, Alan Simpson, the former senator and acerbic wit from Wyoming; Brian Mulroney, the former Canadian prime minister who also gave a eulogy for Ronald Reagan; and presidential historian Jon Meacham.

Map shows funeral procession route through Washington for President George H.W. Bush; 2c x 4 inches; with all related stories.

People lined up before dawn to pay respects to the 41st president, a son and father of privilege now celebrated by everyday citizens for his common courtesies and depth of experience.

“He was so qualified, and I think he was just a decent man,” said Sharon Terry, touring Washington with friends from an Indianapolis garden club. Said her friend Sue Miller, also in line for the viewing: “I actually think I underestimated him when he was in office. My opinion of him went up seeing how he conducted himself as a statesman afterward.”

Fred Curry, one of the few African-Americans in line, is a registered Democrat from Hyattsville, Maryland, who voted for Bush in 1988, the election won by the one-term president. “Honestly I just liked him,” he said. “He seemed like a sincere and decent man and you couldn’t argue with his qualifications.”

Inside the Capitol, Sully, the 2-year-old Labrador retriever assigned to Bush, sat by the casket in the company of people who came to commemorate Bush’s signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the 1990 law that, among its many provisions, required businesses that prohibit pets to give access to service dogs.

“After Mrs. Bush’s death, general companionship was a big part of Sully’s job,” John Miller, president and CEO of America’s VetDogs, said in a phone interview. “One of the things that I think was important to the president was the rest command, where Sully would rest his head on the president’s lap.”

The law was just one point of intersection for Bush and Dole, now 95, who was one of its leading advocates in the Senate.

They were fellow World War II veterans, Republican Party leaders, fierce rivals for the 1988 Republican presidential nomination won by Bush (“Stop lying about my record,” Dole snapped at Bush) and skilled negotiators. Dole, an Army veteran hit by German machine gunfire in Italy, has gone through life with a disabled right arm. Bush, a Navy pilot, survived a bail-out from his stricken aircraft over the Pacific and an earlier crash landing.

On Tuesday, Dole was helped out of his wheelchair by an aide, slowly steadied himself and saluted Bush with his left hand, his chin quivering.

Dignitaries had come forward on Monday, too, to honor the Texan whose service to his country extended three quarters of a century, from World War II through his final years as an advocate for volunteerism and relief for people displaced by natural disaster. Bush, 94, died Friday.

Trump’s relationship with the Bush family has been tense. The current president mocked the elder Bush for his “thousand points of light” call to volunteerism, challenged his son’s legacy as president and trounced “low-energy” Jeb Bush in the Republican presidential primaries en route to office. The late President Bush called Trump a “blowhard.”

Those insults have been set aside, but the list of funeral service speakers marked the first time since Lyndon Johnson’s death in 1973 that a sitting president was not tapped to eulogize a late president. (Clinton did so for Richard Nixon, and George W. Bush eulogized Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford.)

Bush’s death reduces membership in the ex-presidents’ club to four: Jimmy Carter, Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

By CALVIN WOODWARD, LAURIE KELLMAN and ASHRAF KHALIL – Dec 5.2018 -12:28 PM EDT ___

Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

Bush Celebrated With Praise And Humor At Cathedral Farewell WASHINGTON — George H. W. Bush was celebrated with high praise and loving humor Wednesday as the nation bade farewell to the man who was America’s 41st president and the last to fight for the U.S.

#Bush Celebrated #Cathedral Farewell #George H.W. Bush #Praise & Humor #Washington National Cathedral

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helloworlddemo1122-yahoopar-blog · 7 years ago

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Former First Lady Barbara Bush Dead at 92

Former first lady Barbara Bush died Tuesday at the age of 92 at her home in Houston, Texas.

"A former first lady of the United States of America and relentless proponent of family literacy, Barbara Pierce Bush passed away Tuesday, April 17, 2018, at the age of 92," read a statement from the office of Bush's husband, former president George H.W. Bush.

Former president George W. Bush also shared a statement on his mother's death, which read, "My dear mother has passed on at age 92. Laura, Barbara, Jenna and I are sad, but our souls are settled because we know hers was. Barbara Bush was a fabulous First Lady and a woman unlike any other, who brought levity, love and literacy to millions."

"To us, she was so much more. Mom kept us on our toes and kept us laughing until the end. I'm a lucky man that Barbara Bush was my mother. Our family will miss her dearly, and we thank you all for your prayers and good wishes."

MORE: Statement by President George W. Bush on the passing of Mrs. Barbara Bush https://t.co/KDFQQcsPTOpic.twitter.com/jGVj37kU5G

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) April 18, 2018

Earlier this week, it was announced that the former first lady, who served alongside her husband in the White House from 1989-93, had decided to forgo further medical treatments for her failing health and spend her remaining days with family.

"Following a recent series of hospitalizations, and after consulting her family and doctors, Mrs. Bush, now age 92, has decided not to seek additional medical treatment and will instead focus on comfort care," said a previous statement from the office of the 41st president.

"It will not surprise those who know her that Barbara Bush has been a rock in the face of her failing health, worrying not for herself -- thanks to her abiding faith -- but for others. She is surrounded by a family she adores, and appreciates the many kind messages and especially the prayers she is receiving."

On Monday, Jenna Bush Hager was emotional on the Today show while discussing her grandmother's health struggles.

“She’s a fighter. She's an enforcer,” Hager said, referring to the family's nickname for the matriarch. “We’re grateful for her, for everybody’s prayers and thoughts, and just know the world is better because she’s in it.”

“We are grateful for her. She’s the best grandma anybody could have ever had,” she added.

An outpouring of love and support followed the news of Bush's death, including messages from family, friends and fellow politicians and former first ladies.

"Barbara Bush was a remarkable woman," tweeted former President Bill Clinton. "She had grit & grace, brains & beauty. She was fierce & feisty in support of her family & friends, her country & her causes. She showed us what an honest, vibrant, full life looks like. Hillary and I mourn her passing and bless her memory."

Barbara Bush was a remarkable woman. She had grit & grace, brains & beauty. She was fierce & feisty in support of her family & friends, her country & her causes. She showed us what an honest, vibrant, full life looks like. Hillary and I mourn her passing and bless her memory.

— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) April 17, 2018

Prior to the news of Bush's passing, Clinton shared her own tribute on Twitter, writing, "Thinking about Barbara Bush’s legacy of service to our country and the extraordinary family she raised. Thanking her for her many kindnesses to me and my family."

Thinking about Barbara Bush’s legacy of service to our country and the extraordinary family she raised. Thanking her for her many kindnesses to me and my family. Wishing her the comfort she deserves surrounded by her loved ones.

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) April 16, 2018

Bush is survived by her husband of 73 years, five children and their spouses, 17 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. See below for more tributes to the former first lady -- who was one of only two women in history to be both the wife and mother of a U.S. president.

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter on death of Barbara Bush: "She touched the hearts of millions with her warmth, generosity, and keen wit." https://t.co/gmoZFsVv6Apic.twitter.com/TK45yNRAXS

— ABC News (@ABC) April 18, 2018

Statement from Barack and Michelle Obama: “Barbara Bush was the rock of a family dedicated to public service.” pic.twitter.com/REZanlshwF

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 18, 2018

Always a friend to Canada, Barbara Bush leaves a legacy of dignity, grace, service and devotion to family. Sophie and I send our deepest condolences to Presidents George H.W. and George W. Bush, their family, and to all Americans.

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 18, 2018

Rest In Peace Mrs. Barbara Bush. You were a beautiful light in this world and I am forever thankful for your friendship. pic.twitter.com/yuZvQ7o8aH

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) April 17, 2018

Throughout her life, Barbara Bush showed us all the importance of charity, literacy, and love of country. Our thoughts are with the entire Bush family as they mourn her passing. Rest In Peace.

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 18, 2018

Sad to hear about the passing of Barbara Bush. She was dedicated to this country and devoted to her family and friends. My thoughts are with them during this time.

— Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) April 18, 2018

The sad news comes after Hollywood has said goodbye to several public figures in recent months, including John Mahoney, David Cassidy, Della Reese,Tom Petty, Hugh Hefner, Shelley Berman, Jerry Lewis and more.