George W. Bush: Mom Genuinely Believed She’d Be ‘Wonderfully Received’ Into Heaven

Barbara Bush was a woman of great faith, her son George W. Bush told Fox News the day after his mother’s death.

“She truly believes there’s an afterlife, that she’ll be wonderfully received in the arms of a loving God, and therefore did not fear death,” her son says. “And as a result of her soul being comforted on the deathbed, my soul is comforted.”

In addition to her strong beliefs, Barbara Bush was also known for her passion for family.

“With the passing of Barbara Bush, our nation has lost not only a former first lady, but also a great American ambassador of patriotism, charity, dignity and class,” says Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. “In so many ways, she embodied the very best of us and we owe her a deep debt of gratitude for her years of faithful public service as well as her steadfast love of country and family. May her character and charisma remind us all that even in our contentious modern day, though we may disagree we should always be kind and gracious toward one another. My prayers and condolences are with the entire Bush family who has lost their singular, irreplaceable and beloved matriarch.”

Others also highlighted her family and patriotism in their tributes.

“Barbara Bush wasn’t called the Silver Fox for nothing. Beautiful, smart, elegant, tough, witty, this mother of all Bushes brought charm and grace to the White House and everything she touched or whatever setting in which she moved,” presidential historian Craig Shirley says. “Through her years as both wife and mother to presidents of the United States, she stayed loyal and faithful to her family and to her country, bettering all she could through her actions and words. Her legacy is secure. Her monuments are her marriage to President George H.W. Bush and her marvelous children. The Bushes were born blood donors, welcoming all kindly, into their homes and their lives. My wife, Zorine, and I mourn the passing of this very great lady. RIP Barbara Pierce Bush.”

Cultural commentator Alex McFarland says, “Barbara Bush carried on the tradition of the first ladies before her and set the bar for those who came after. She had the great distinction of being only the second woman in history to be the wife and the mother of a U.S. president, along with Abigail Adams. Mrs. Bush’s commitment to family and her deep love for the Lord shone through in all she did, and she will be remembered for her sparkling personality, her never-ending love for her husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and for her service to this great nation.”

Southern Evangelical Seminary President Richard Land honored her devotion to her husband.

“All of us in the Southern Evangelical Seminary family mourn the death of former First Lady Barbara Bush,” Land says. “She was married to former President George H.W. Bush for 73 years, longer than any first couple in history. We will be praying for the family as they mourn their loss. She was a devoted wife, beloved mother and patriotic servant for her country. The ‘Silver Fox,’ the extremely apt nickname conferred on her by her husband, has left us, and we will miss her and her scintillating mixture of maternal support and acerbic wit.”

Watch the video to see George W.’s full interview.