Jenna Bush Hager Pays Tearful Tribute to her Grandmother

Jenna Bush Hager shared a Mother's Day tribute to her beloved grandmother whom she lost just last Friday.

Jenna honored her namesake and grandmother Jenna Welch in a touching message posted on Instagram on Mother's Day.

In it, the 37-year-old said she woke up on Sunday thinking about Jenna Hawkins Welch, who is former First Lady Laura Bush's mother. She passed away on Friday in Midland, Texas at the age of 99.

Alongside a number of family photos, Jenna wrote:

"How lucky I was to be named after a woman who taught me how to slow down and appreciate every bird, and every plant in West Texas. She read us poetry and taught us about every constellation in the sky."

She continued:

"Her kindness and graciousness were as expansive as the West Texas horizon. So happy she’s reunited with her great love, our Pa after almost 25-years apart. Thinking of my mama too who lost her little mama right before Mother’s Day.

In the post, Jenna included two photos of her and her grandmother and one with her and sister Barbara as they stood behind Welch's coffin which was covered in flowers. One pictured showed four generations of the women including Jenna's own young daughter.

Welch's funeral was held on Saturday, May 11. She got married to Harold Welch in January 1944, but he passed away due to cancer and dementia in 1995. He was 82.

Welch was a bookkeeper for her veteran husband, who worked as a real estate developer. Her daughter Laura Bush also paid tribute to her on Mother's Day alongside a single photo of Welch.

She wrote:

“Jenna Hawkins Welch was a true daughter of West Texas who loved her family, books, and nature. My memories of reading with her and stargazing under the Midland sky are reminders of the passions that she nurtured in me. Our family is grateful for her long and wonderful life. We miss her dearly.”

Last year, Jenna also lost her paternal grandmother, Barbara Bush, and paid tribute via social media as well. Barbara, the wife of the late president George Bush Sr., died on April 17, 2018, at 92.

In her message, Jenna praised her grandmother for her sense of humor and strength in keeping their family together. She also mentioned the love story between Barbara and her late husband. Our condolences go out to her for her recent loss.