Barbara Bush and George HW Bush's Relationship in Photos

President George H.W. and Barbara Bush with their grandchildren (L-R) Pierce, twins Barbara and Jenna (in bed), Marshall, Jeb. Jr. and Sam LeBlond in the bedroom of their summer home at Walker's Point in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1987.
David Valdez—The White House
By Olivia B. Waxman and Liz Ronk

Barbara Bush, the fierce and beloved matriarch of the Bush family, died at the age of 92 on Tuesday.

The former First Lady had the longest marriage in presidential history — she was married to President George H.W. Bush for 73 years, dropping out of college to follow along as her childhood love grew in his career. The couple met when Barbara Bush (then Barbara Pierce) was a 15-year-old girl on Christmas break.

It was 1941 at a Christmas dance in Greenwich, Conn., when George Bush, a recent Andover graduate, asked fellow guest Jack Wozencraft if he knew the “strikingly beautiful girl” in the red and green holiday-themed dress, Jon Meacham writes in Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush. Wozencraft told Bush that the girl was Barbara Pierce, a Rye, N.Y., native who was a senior at the boarding school Ashley Hall in Charleston, S.C., and the daughter of the publishing executive Marvin Pierce. Wozencraft asked if he wanted to meet her and Bush recalled saying, “That was the general idea,” so he introduced George by his nickname Poppy.

After winter break, Barbara Pierce went back to school in the South, but the two became pen pals. They wouldn’t see each other again until spring break, when they went on a double-date to Citizen Kane. He asked her to Andover’s senior prom, where he kissed her on the cheek, “in front of the world,” as she later recalled the moment.

In the summer of 1943, they made it official, as TIME explained in 1989:

In the summer of 1943, they made it official, as TIME explained in 1989:

Here, take a look back at their love story.

George and Barbara Bush cut their wedding cake, Rye, New York on Jan. 6, 1945. (George Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
George and Barbara Bush cut their wedding cake, Rye, New York on Jan. 6, 1945.
George Bush Presidential Library and Museum
George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara with their first child George Walker Bush in 1947. (Consolidated White House/picture-alliance/dpa—AP Photo)
George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara with their first child George Walker Bush in 1947.
Consolidated White House/picture-alliance/dpa—AP Photo
George H. W. Bush with his wife, Barbara with their children Pauline and George W. on horse in the yard of their Midland, Texas ranch, 1950. (Frances McLaughlin-Gill—Condé Nast via Getty Images)
George H. W. Bush with his wife, Barbara with their children Pauline and George W. on horse in the yard of their Midland, Texas ranch, 1950.
Frances McLaughlin-Gill—Condé Nast via Getty Images
George H.W. Bush, candidate for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, gets returns by phone at his headquarters in Houston, Saturday, June 6, 1964 as his wife Barbara, beams her pleasure at the news. (Ed Kolenovsky—AP Photo)
George H.W. Bush, candidate for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, gets returns by phone at his headquarters in Houston, Saturday, June 6, 1964 as his wife Barbara, beams her pleasure at the news.
Ed Kolenovsky—AP Photo
George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush celebrating his 1966 Congressional win. (George Bush Presidential Library and Museum Photo Credit: George Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush celebrating his 1966 Congressional win.
George Bush Presidential Library and Museum Photo Credit: George Bush Presidential Library and Museum
George H.W. Bush, then the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, with his wife Barbara at home, 1971. (Leonard McCombe—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)
George H.W. Bush, then the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, with his wife Barbara at home, 1971.
Leonard McCombe—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush in China, circa 1974-1975. (George Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush in China, circa 1974-1975.
George Bush Presidential Library and Museum
George H.W. Bush, wearing a t-shirt alluding to his son George W. Bush's run for Congress, stands with his wife Barbara in Nov. 1978. (Dirck Halstead/Liaison—Getty Images)
George H.W. Bush, wearing a t-shirt alluding to his son George W. Bush's run for Congress, stands with his wife Barbara in Nov. 1978.
Dirck Halstead/Liaison—Getty Images
President George H.W. and Barbara Bush with their grandchildren (L-R) Pierce, twins Barbara and Jenna (in bed), Marshall, Jeb. Jr. and Sam LeBlond in the bedroom of their summer home at Walker's Point in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1987. (David Valdez—The White House)
President George H.W. and Barbara Bush with their grandchildren (L-R) Pierce, twins Barbara and Jenna (in bed), Marshall, Jeb. Jr. and Sam LeBlond in the bedroom of their summer home at Walker's Point in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1987.
David Valdez—The White House
George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush in Kennebunkport, ME, Aug. 6, 1988. (George Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush in Kennebunkport, ME, Aug. 6, 1988.
George Bush Presidential Library and Museum
President George H.W. Bush and wife, Barbara dance at the inaugural ball at the Pension Building in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 1989. (Scott Applewhite—AP Photo)
President George H.W. Bush and wife, Barbara dance at the inaugural ball at the Pension Building in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 1989.
Scott Applewhite—AP Photo
President George H.W. and Mrs. Barbara Bush walk down the driveway as their dog Millie trots alongside, Walker's Point, Kennebunkport, ME, Aug. 16, 1989. (George Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
President George H.W. and Mrs. Barbara Bush walk down the driveway as their dog Millie trots alongside, Walker's Point, Kennebunkport, ME, Aug. 16, 1989.
George Bush Presidential Library and Museum
President and Mrs. Bush play golf on Aug. 7, 1991. (George Bush Presidential Library and Museum)
President and Mrs. Bush play golf on Aug. 7, 1991.
George Bush Presidential Library and Museum
Former First Couple Barbara and George H.W. Bush enjoying life after presidency, in their living room at home in Houston, TX, 1994. (Cynthia Johnson—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images)
Former First Couple Barbara and George H.W. Bush enjoying life after presidency, in their living room at home in Houston, TX, 1994.
Cynthia Johnson—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara shelter from the rain during the Ryder Cup golf competition at the Valderrama Golf Club in Sotogrande, Spain, on Sep. 26, 1997. (Phil Sheldon/Popperfoto—Getty Images)
Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara shelter from the rain during the Ryder Cup golf competition at the Valderrama Golf Club in Sotogrande, Spain, on Sep. 26, 1997.
Phil Sheldon/Popperfoto—Getty Images
Barbara Bush wipes water off the shoulder of her husband former President George H.W. Bush during the inauguration of the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Nov. 18, 2004. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP—Getty Images)
Barbara Bush wipes water off the shoulder of her husband former President George H.W. Bush during the inauguration of the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Nov. 18, 2004.
Roberto Schmidt/AFP—Getty Images
Former President George H.W. Bush and wife, Barbara Bush, cruising around in the back of a golf cart with their dog Millie at their home at Walker's Point in Kennebunkport, ME, on Aug. 25, 2004. (David Hume Kennerly—Getty Images)
Former President George H.W. Bush and wife, Barbara Bush, cruising around in the back of a golf cart with their dog Millie at their home at Walker's Point in Kennebunkport, ME, on Aug. 25, 2004.
David Hume Kennerly—Getty Images
Former President George H.W. Bush, embraces former First Lady Barbara Bush after she introduced the former President at the Genesis Women's Shelter Mother's Day Luncheon in Dallas, Texas, on May 3, 2006. (Tony Gutierrez—AP Photo)
Former President George H.W. Bush, embraces former First Lady Barbara Bush after she introduced the former President at the Genesis Women's Shelter Mother's Day Luncheon in Dallas, Texas, on May 3, 2006.
Tony Gutierrez—AP Photo
Former President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush are introduced prior to throwing the ceremonial first pitch to kick off Game 3 of the American League Division Series between the Houston Astros and the Kansas City Royals at Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX on Oct. 11, 2015. (Bob Levey—Getty Images)
Former President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush are introduced prior to throwing the ceremonial first pitch to kick off Game 3 of the American League Division Series between the Houston Astros and the Kansas City Royals at Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX on Oct. 11, 2015.
Bob Levey—Getty Images
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Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com.

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