A 'strong matriarch': Utah leaders remember Barbara Bush


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SALT LAKE CITY — Condolences from Utah leaders and political candidates poured in on Twitter following the Tuesday death of former first lady Barbara Bush, who was known for her wit and focus on family. She was 92.

"Today, we lost a woman of wit, grace, humility, and humor," Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, wrote. "Through the eloquence of her example, Barbara Bush inspired us all to be the best version of ourselves."

Hatch added that he considered himself lucky to be her friend.

"Tonight, my prayers are with the Bush family and all those who were touched by the life of this remarkable woman," he said.

Gov. Gary Herbert called the former first lady a "class act" who "helped mold the character of some of our nation's most principled governors and presidents" and demonstrated the power of a single nurturing family.

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Rep. Mia Love also chimed in with a remembrance of the woman married to the nation's 41st president, George H.W. Bush, for 73 years.

"I'm sending sympathy and prayers to the Bush family tonight. #BarbaraBush was a great First Lady and a loving, devoted wife and mother," the Republican representative wrote.

Republican Rep. John Curtis added that he was "deeply saddened" by her passing.

"As the strong matriarch of the Bush family, she inspired the nation with her commitment to public service and devotion to family," Curtis said.

In 1990, when she touched down in Salt Lake City to speak at the American Association of Adult and Continuing Education conference, the first lady and longtime champion of literacy said reading was such an important part of her life that she packed her books before she packed her clothes on any given trip.

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She added that "I have a waterproof Walkman so I can listen to books while I'm swimming laps. It's a little weird, I admit."

Literacy is a family issue, she said, that affects future generations.

Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney also praised her dedication. Romney, who is running for the seat to be vacated by Hatch, said on Twitter that he and his wife Ann Romney will miss Bush's "friendship, her compassion and the twinkle of her eye."

"Barbara raised a family of service and character, stood by her beloved husband in the best & worst of times, and spoke her convictions with courage and passion. The great First Lady of our times," Romney said.

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