Lady Bird Laid to Rest

From CNN

Thousands of admirers, many clutching bundles of the wildflowers Lady Bird Johnson loved, lined streets in Austin and roads in the Hill Country as her body was taken from the state capital to the LBJ Ranch, about 70 miles west of Austin.

Members of the crowd applauded and cheered as the procession passed through downtown Austin, and a few women blew kisses.

Outside Austin, people gathered along highways and in little towns, many holding American flags, some clutching wildflowers and some holding umbrellas against the hot sun.
Wildflowers and a sign reading "Thank You Lady Bird" adorned a tractor. Another sign read "God Bless a Great Woman."

More people lined the streets of Johnson City, President Johnson's boyhood home, and the main street was lined with little Texas and American flags stuck in flower pots.

In Austin, retiree Kate Hill handed out sunflowers from her garden to people waiting for the procession. Hill said Johnson's work inspired her to convert her grassy lawn into an expanse of wildflowers and other native plants, and she wanted to thank the former first lady for the beauty.

Three days of ceremonies had started Friday with family prayer services and a public visitation at the LBJ Library and Museum. More than 11,500 people paid their respects over nearly 22 hours.

About 1,800 people, including family, friends and presidents, attended a two-hour funeral Saturday at Riverbend Centre overlooking the Hill Country. People in attendance included former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, first lady Laura Bush and former first ladies Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.