Former U.S. president to visit Charlotte on Monday to honor Billy Graham
Former President George W. Bush is scheduled to pay his respects to the late Billy Graham on Monday at Graham’s childhood home in Charlotte.
Bush and his wife Laura are expected around 3 p.m., a spokesman said Friday.
On Monday and Tuesday Graham’s body will be in the home, relocated to the site of the Billy Graham Library. Shuttle buses will transport people to the site from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., They’ll stand in line outside the house and once inside, pass by his closed casket – made of pine plywood, lined with a mattress pad and topped with a wooden cross.
President Donald Trump is expected to attend Graham’s funeral Friday on the library grounds.
“Unfortunately, President and Mrs. Bush were unable to break a longstanding scheduling commitment they have on March 2,” spokesman Freddy Ford said in an email. “Therefore they will be visiting Charlotte late Monday afternoon to visit with the family and pay respects to their friend.”
Bush joined former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton in 2007 for the opening of the Charlotte library.
Graham died Wednesday at the age of 99.
Jim Morrill: 704-358-5059, @jimmorrill
This story was originally published February 23, 2018 at 5:30 PM with the headline "Former U.S. president to visit Charlotte on Monday to honor Billy Graham."