The Bushes had six children. A daughter, Robin, died of leukemia in 1953 at age 3. Barbara Bush's hair began to turn prematurely white after the shock of the girl's death. In addition to George W. and Jeb, the other Bush children were sons Neil and Marvin and daughter Dorothy.

The Bushes married on Jan 6, 1945, and Barbara set up households in numerous cities as her husband moved from being a Texas oilman to being a member of Congress, Republican Party leader, U.S. envoy to China and the United Nations and head of the Central Intelligence Agency.

George W. Bush made no secret that when he was growing up, it was his mother he had to answer to when he got into trouble.

Barbara Bush sometimes made biting remarks, particularly when she felt the need to defend her husband. One notable example came in 1984 when George H.W. Bush was seeking re-election as vice president under Reagan, a post he held from 1981 until becoming president in 1989.

She told reporters that Geraldine Ferraro, her husband's Democratic rival for the vice presidency, was a "4 million dollar ... I can't say it but it rhymes with 'rich.'" She apologized to Ferraro, the first woman running for US vice president on a major-party ticket.