Here is a look at the life of Barbara Bush, wife of President George H. W. Bush and mother of President George W. Bush.
Personal:
Birth date: June 8, 1925
Birth place: New York, New York
Birth name: Barbara Pierce
Father: Marvin Pierce, publisher
Mother: Pauline (Robinson) Pierce
Marriage: George H. W. Bush (January 6, 1945-present)
Children: Dorothy, August 18, 1959; Marvin, October 22, 1956; Neil, January 22, 1955; John (Jeb) February 11, 1953; Pauline (Robin), December 20, 1949-October 1953 (died of leukemia); George, July 6, 1946
Other Facts:
Has Graves' disease.
Life member of the University Cancer Foundation Board of Visitors for the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas.
Ambassador at large of AmeriCares since 1986.
Is a relative of Franklin Pierce, the 14th president of the United States.
Timeline:
1941 - Meets George H. W. Bush at a dance at the Round Hill Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut.
1943 - Has a summer job working in a nuts and bolts factory in Port Chester, New York.
January 6, 1945 - Marries George H. W. Bush.
October 1953 - Daughter, Robin, dies of leukemia.
1969-1971 - While living in Washington, Bush writes a monthly column called "Washington Scene" for Houston newspapers.
1971 - Volunteers at Sloan-Kettering Memorial Hospital in New York.
January 20, 1980-January 20, 1989 - Second Lady of the United States.
1984 - Writes "C. Fred's Story," about the Bush family's dog.
January 20, 1989-January 20, 1993 - First Lady of the United States.
1989 - Founds the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.
1990 - "Millie's Book" is published. Millie is the Bush family dog.
1994 - "Barbara Bush: A Memoir" is published.
November 25, 2008 - Is hospitalized in Houston after complaining of stomach pains. She is diagnosed with a perforated ulcer and has surgery to correct the problem.
March 4, 2009 - Undergoes heart surgery.
March 27-31, 2010 - Is hospitalized for what doctors describe as a mild relapse of Graves' disease.
December 30, 2013-January 4, 2014 - Is treated for pneumonia at a hospital in Houston.
January 18, 2017 - Is hospitalized for bronchitis four days after her husband, George H. W. Bush, was admitted to the hospital to address "an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia." The former first lady is discharged January 23.