The Latest: Mourners commend Barbara Bush’s literacy efforts

HOUSTON (AP) — The Latest on the death of former first lady Barbara Bush (all times local):

11 a.m.

More than 100 people are already standing in line to pay their final respects to former first lady Barbara Bush.

Among them is 74-year-old Lucy Orlando, who traveled from Florida. Originally from Haiti, Orlando says she has admired Barbara Bush for years, especially for her work promoting literacy.

Forty-nine-year-old Varney Johnson also commended the former first lady’s work in supporting literacy efforts. The social worker is originally from Liberia and says he also wanted to thank Mrs. Bush for her son George W. Bush’s work during his presidency to support his home country.

Mrs. Bush died on Tuesday at age 92. A public viewing is scheduled to start at noon Friday at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston, where she and her husband, former President George H.W. Bush, regularly attended services.

People attending the public viewing will go through security checks before boarding shuttle buses to travel a few miles to the church.

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10:30 a.m.

A spray of flowers covers the closed silver casket of former first lady Barbara Bush in the sanctuary of the Houston church where mourners are waiting to pay their final respects.

People are lining up hours early to attend a public viewing Friday at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston, where Bush and her husband, former President George H.W. Bush, regularly attended services.

Many women are wearing blue, Mrs. Bush’s favorite color, and pearls, her go-to neckwear jewelry.

A hearse containing the former first lady’s casket arrived at the nation’s largest Episcopal church before daybreak. Her body will lie in repose from noon to midnight.

An invitation-only funeral is set for Saturday. She’ll be buried later in the day behind her husband’s presidential library at Texas A&M University. The gated plot is in an area surrounded by trees and near a creek where the couple’s 3-year-old daughter, Robin, is buried. She died of leukemia in 1953.

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12:30 a.m.

As the outpouring of tributes continues for Barbara Bush, the general public can pay its respects to the former first lady at a viewing.

Bush’s body will lie in repose from noon to midnight Friday at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church at 717 Sage Road in Houston, the nation’s largest Episcopal church. The public must go to the Second Baptist Church at 6400 Woodway Drive to park and pass through security. The parking lots can be entered from Voss Road.

Metro is providing shuttles to and from St. Martin’s. The parking lot at Second Baptist will open at 10 a.m., and shuttles will start running at 11:30 a.m.

A by-invitation-only funeral is scheduled for Saturday at St. Martin’s.

Bush died Tuesday at her Houston home. She was 92.