Barbara Bush, wife and mother of presidents, dies at 92

"I hope people will say, 'She cared; she worked hard for lots of causes,'" Bush said in 1989.

Barbara Bush, the matriarch of an American political dynasty spanning decades who was the second American to be both the first lady and the mother of a president, died Tuesday. She was 92.

Her death was confirmed by Jim McGrath, a spokesman for the Bush family. The family said two days ago that Bush wouldn't seek any further medical treatment after a series of recent hospitalizations.

Bush was married for 73 years to the nation's 41st president, George H.W. Bush, and was the mother of the 43rd, George W. Bush; another son, Jeb, is a former governor of Florida. She was considered an asset on the campaign trail, known for her wit and her emphasis on family.