Valley mourns the death of frequent visitor Barbara Bush
Former First Lady of the United States Barbara Bush has died at the age of 92, according to a family spokesman.
The snowy-haired Mrs. Bush was one of only two first ladies who was also the mother of a president. The other was Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams and mother of John Quincy Adams.
Mrs. Bush’s plainspoken manner and utter lack of pretense made her more popular at times than her husband. She brought a grandmotherly style to buttoned-down Washington, often appearing in her trademark fake pearl chokers and displaying no vanity about her white hair and wrinkles.
She married George H.W. Bush in 1945. They had six children and were married longer than any presidential couple in American history.
The Bush family had a close tie to the Coachella Valley. George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush were close personal friends with Walter and Leonore Annenberg, the former owners of the Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage. The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands released a statement extending their sympathies to the Bush family.
“The trustees and staff deeply cherish Mrs. Bush’s friendship with the Annenbergs and her affection for Sunnylands,” said David J. Lane, president of the trust. “Her warmth and congeniality continue to inspire the people and places she visited.”
Barbara Bush first signed the Sunnylands guest book in 1988, according to the Trust’s news release.
Funeral services for Barbara are planned for 11 a.m. Saturday at a church in Houston that she and George regularly attended.
Stay with KESQ & CBS Local 2 for the latest coverage of this story.
