Presidential Historian Jon Meacham Gives Candid and Moving Eulogy at Barbara Bush Funeral

On Saturday, presidential historian and author Jon Meacham gave a loving and at times comical tribute to Barbara Bush during her funeral in Houston.

Speaking in front of dignitaries, family and friends of the Bush family at the simple service held at the St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Meacham recalled the time he sought out sympathy from the former First Lady.

According to Meacham, a woman had walked up to him gushing about his book. Then, she returned with a book for him to sign. It was John Grisham‘s latest novel.

Hoping to be consoled, he then recalled the story to Barbara Bush.

“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,” Meacham recalled. “That’s called telegraphing. Here it comes. And she said, well, how do you think poor John Grisham would feel? He’s a very handsome man.”

The story prompted laughs from those in the pews that knew and loved Bush well.

Then, in between sharing additional examples of her rapier wit and genuine caring for her husband and family, Meacham praised Bush as both a public figure and the enforcer of her family.

“Known as Barbara, as Bar, as mom, as mother, as Ganny, as the silver fox and as ’the Enforcer.’ She was candid and comforting, steadfast and straightforward, honest and loving,” Meacham said, adding later that both she and her husband George H.W. Bush, “put country above party, the common good above political gain, and service to others above the settling of scores.”

Watch the video in two parts above, via CNN.

[image via screengrab]

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