Jeb Bush Honors Late Mother In Oak Brook: 'I Love Her Dearly'

OAK BROOK, IL — Jeb Bush got a standing ovation when he took the stage to speak at the Elmhurst College Government Forum in Oak Brook Wednesday, keeping his commitment despite the death of his mother, Barbara Bush, at 92, just a day earlier. "She would have been very upset if I'd stayed home," he said. Bush choked back tears as he spoke about his late mother in present tense. He broke eye contact with the audience, bowed his head, and pursed his lips, saying, simply, "I love her dearly."

The former presidential candidate said his mother was his first teacher and instilled values in him and his brother George W. Bush. "She taught us to serve others, she taught us to be civil, she taught us to love your family with your heart and soul."

This was a lesson his mother taught just by living, Bush said. "She and my dad didn't have to tell us to do that. They basically just acted on their love for 75 years."

Bush is known for starting his speeches with a family update, but this time he thanked everyone who offered their condolences and prayers for his mother's passing. His sentiments about his famously close relationship with his mom were summed up in one short and moving sentence: "I'm so blessed to be her son."

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