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Woman shares memories of campaign trail with Bush family

Posted at 6:41 PM, Dec 05, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-05 20:05:33-05

If you sit down with Sarilee Ferguson, she'll happily tell you stories of her time on the campaign trail alongside the Bush family.

"One town to the next, to the next, to the next. It was a great experience," Ferguson said. "Now, it's very nostalgic to look back at all the good times we had, all the work we did."

They started working together in 1979 before President Ronald Reagan chose George H.W. Bush as his running mate. 

She was drawn to his political views and quickly began to admire him as a person.

"He thought more of others than he did himself and he was right to do that," Ferguson said.

Ferguson said George and Barbara made a great team. Barbara always stood by him but wasn't afraid to speak her mind.

"They were such good people and did want to do what was right for the country," Ferguson said.

She describes the couple as down-to-earth, taking the time to send her Christmas cards and hand-written notes.

"He wanted to give other people credit, his mother as you've probably heard many times, taught him humility," Ferguson said. "Don't take credit, give it to other people and he truly practiced that sort of life."

Ferguson has some of her favorite keepsakes hung up on a wall in her home. They range from photos to campaign stickers, bringing back fond memories each time she looks at them.

They mean even more to her now that her friends have passed on.

"It leaves a hole in your heart kind of because you think gosh, they're gone. They're gone out of my life," Ferguson said. "But you'll always remember them."

One of Ferguson's most prized possessions is a silk scarf that "Bush Belles" wore when they were campaigning. She passed it along to her granddaughter who pursued a career in politics.

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