The Latest on events honoring late former President George H.W. Bush (all times CST):
6:40 p.m.
As a military band played, pallbearers carried the flag-draped casket of former President George H.W. Bush into Houston’s St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, where the Bush family regularly worshipped.
Wednesday night’s music included the opening notes of “Hail to the Chief.” Among those greeting the motorcade were the city’s top two leaders, Democratic Mayor Sylvester Turner and Republican County Judge Ed Emmett.
Bush died at his home in Houston on Friday. After lying in state at the U.S. Capitol and a funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral, his remains were returned to Houston, where another funeral service is set for Thursday.
A special train will then take the casket to the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, where Bush will be buried at his presidential library next to his wife, Barbara, and their young daughter Robin, who died in 1953.
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6:20 p.m.
The remains of former President George H.W. Bush have arrived at a Houston church, where he will lie in repose overnight.
About 1,200 mourners are expected for a service at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church on Thursday morning. Delivering a eulogy is James Baker, Bush’s former secretary of state and longtime confidant.
Bush’s grandson George P. Bush will give the other eulogy. He is the Texas land commissioner.
The casket carrying the remains of the nation’s 41st president will later travel on a train pulled by a special locomotive, No. 4141, from suburban Houston to College Station, home of Texas A&M University ‘s Bush presidential library.
The former president will be laid to rest alongside his wife, Barbara, and their daughter, Robin, who died of leukemia in 1953 at age 3.
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6 p.m.
The motorcade carrying George H.W. Bush’s coffin is passing through Houston along closed southbound lanes of Interstate 45, while people in stopped traffic on the other side of the road wave flags and shoot cell phone pictures and videos.
Speeding along at about 50 miles per hour, the motorcade passed a stopped tanker whose driver stood atop the vehicle taking pictures.
It also passed two stopped firetrucks where at least 15 firefighters had climbed atop the vehicles and were saluting.
Bush returned to Houston on Wednesday after a funeral service at Washington’s National Cathedral. Another service will be held in Houston on Thursday before Bush is laid to rest at his presidential library at Texas A&M University in College Station.
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5:45 p.m.
A military band played and guns and cannons were fired symbolically as the body of George H.W. Bush was taken from a military aircraft to a waiting hearse in Houston.
As former First Lady Laura Bush and her husband, former President George W. Bush, left the plane and were walking on the tarmac Wednesday evening, Laura Bush waved at the crowd of 300 invited guests who attended the return ceremony.
Many in the crowd waved back at her.
A short time later, the hearse left for St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, where the former president will lie in response overnight ahead of funeral services Thursday morning.
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6:05 p.m.
A crowd of about 300 invited guests, including Astros manager A.J. Hinch, has greeted the arrival of a plane carrying former President George H.W. Bush’s remains to Texas.
The military aircraft, nicknamed Special Air Mission 41 in honor of the 41st president, landed in Houston on Wednesday evening after a flight from Washington. Bush will lie in repose overnight at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston.
Among those in attendance were past and present members of Houston’s various professional sports teams, including Hinch, former Texans receiver Andre Johnson and former Rockets player Calvin Murphy.
Bush was a big sports fan and regularly attended Astros, Rockets and Texans games. He and his wife, Barbara, could often be seen sitting behind home plate at Astros games.
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6 p.m.
The plane carrying former President George H.W. Bush’s remains has landed at Houston’s Ellington Field.
Bush’s body returned to Texas on Wednesday evening on a plane from Washington. The same military aircraft, nicknamed Special Air Mission 41 in honor of the 41st president, had taken his body to Washington on Monday to lie in state at the Capitol. A funeral service was held Wednesday morning at Washington National Cathedral.
Bush will lie in repose overnight at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston.
Then his casket will be loaded onto a train for a journey to College Station, where he will be laid to rest near his presidential library at Texas A&M University. He will be buried next to his wife, Barbara, and daughter Robin, who died of leukemia at age 3.
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4:10 p.m.
Mourners wanting to pay their respects to former President George H.W. Bush began lining up outside a Houston church hours before his visitation is due to start.
The first people in line arrived Wednesday morning, almost 10 hours before St. Martin’s Episcopal Church was scheduled to open to visitors.
Pennie Werth-Bobian was at the front of the line. The 56-year-old from Tomball, Texas, says that she used to visit with Bush while a friend of hers cut his hair and that they became friends. She says the second time they met, he told her to call him George.
Bush’s casket is being flown back to Houston after his state funeral in Washington. Another funeral service will be held Thursday morning at St. Martin’s, and he is due to be buried Thursday afternoon.
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2:30 p.m.
Former President George H.W. Bush has left Washington for the last time. Bush’s flag-draped casket was carried in a motorcade to Joint Base Andrews outside the capital city following his state funeral at Washington National Cathedral.
An aircraft that often serves as Air Force One and designated “Special Air Mission 41” is flying the casket to Houston. Former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush waved from the top of the stairway before boarding the plane, followed by other family members.
In Houston, Bush’s body will be transported by motorcade to St. Martin’s Episcopal Church. A public viewing of Bush’s casket will be held at the church until early Thursday, followed by a private funeral. Burial will take place at the presidential library in College Station, Texas.
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1:25 p.m.
The hearse carrying former President George H.W. Bush’s casket has left Washington National Cathedral following his state funeral.
Former President George W. Bush says he told his father just before he died last week in Houston at age 94 that he had been a “wonderful dad” and that he loved him. Delivering a eulogy at the elder Bush’s funeral Wednesday, George W. Bush said the last words his father “would ever say on earth were, ‘I love you, too.'”
George W. Bush extolled his father for his service as president and as a role model as a loving husband, father and grandfather.
Bush choked up at the end of his eulogy. He patted his father’s flag-draped coffin twice as he went back to his seat.
Former Presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter sat in a front-row pew. President Donald Trump shook hands with the Obamas when he entered.
Bush’s burial will be in Texas.
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12:45 p.m.
Former President George W. Bush says he told his father just before he died that he had been a “wonderful dad” and that he loved him. Delivering a eulogy at the elder Bush’s funeral on Wednesday, George W. Bush said the last words his father “would ever say on earth were, ‘I love you, too.'”
George W. Bush extolled his father not only for his service as president but also as a role model as a loving husband, father and grandfather.
Bush choked up at the end of his eulogy before regaining his composure. He patted his father’s flag-draped coffin twice as he went back to his seat at the Washington National Cathedral. Former first lady Laura Bush wiped her eyes with a tissue as her husband sat next to her.