Laura Bush Tells All on Her Daughter’s Wedding as Barbara Bush’s Monumental Impact is Remembered: It’s a Lunch of Hot Gossip and Books

There was more than the power of literacy on parade at the Post Oak Hotel Wednesday when more than 600 guests poured in for the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation’s Ladies for Literacy Guild luncheon. There was the power of the Bush family name, the muscle of two former First Ladies and the clout of a sophisticated turnout.

Lest anyone forget the formidable power of the late First Lady, each of the 60 tables in the ballroom were centered with flowers and an 18-inch cutout of Barbara Bush holding balloons.

Laura Bush took the stage with her nephew Pierce Bush, Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star CEO, for a witty exchange covering subjects such as the recent wedding of her daughter, Barbara Pierce Bush, and Craig Coyne at the senior Bushes’ home in Kenebunkport, Maine, to her role as First Lady to her relationship with the late Barbara Bush.

“I want to thank each and every one of you for your generous support for the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation,” Laura Bush told the gathering before the playful interrogation. “I was a teacher in Houston and saw firsthand the needs of many children in your community.

“They would come to school hungry – for food, for the love of family and for a good education. The Barbara Bush Foundation nourishes families and children in Houston, and for that, I am grateful.”

With all the elements in place for a success, the luncheon, chaired by Cathy and Joe Cleary, raised more than $350,000 for Houston literacy programs. An additional $75,000 was gifted from Houston Children’s Charity , the contribution presented by CEO Laura Ward, to aid in the purchase of the foundation’s second Curiosity Cruiser, which since it first rolled in 2017 has served 7,000 youngsters and distributed more than 14,000 books.

Highlight for many attending the luncheon was the raffle of a to-die-for double strand of pearls donated by Tenenbaum Jewelers, a needlepoint pin cushion handcrafted by Barbara Bush and a set of 2018 Houston Astros bats, autographed by the team. Maria Bush, the foundation co-chair, drew the winning tickets, making three women very happy.

Who: Guild president Stephanie Tsuru, emcee Rachel McNeill, Sarabeth Bush, Marshall Bush, Linda McReynolds, Betty Hrncir, Lilly Andress, Alice Burgueires, Brenda Love, Gwen Emmett, Joanne King Herring, Diane Lokey Farb, Sue and Lester Smith, Kathy Goossen, Penny Loyd, Laurel D’Antoni, Judy Tate, Ginger Blanton and Twila Carter.