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Trump calls for National Day of Mourning
Government offices close to honor President George H.W. Bush
George H W Bush chair
The chair that President George H.W. Bush sat in during the final run of his campaign in 1988 at Latif's Restaurant is decorated with an American flag and a Poinsettia in remembrance of the 41st President who passed away Friday (KRISTINA HACKER/The Journal).

Five days after the death of the nation's 41st president, George H.W. Bush, Americans will observe a National Day of Mourning this Wednesday.

The day set aside to honor the 94-year-old former president who died Friday night was announced by President Donald Trump on Saturday.

“I call on the American people to assemble on that day in their respective places of worship, there to pay homage to the memory of President George H.W. Bush. I invite the people of the world who share our grief to join us in this solemn observance,” said President Trump in the proclamation.

City of Turlock offices will be closed as well as all federal offices, some banks and courts will be closed. City employees that provide essential services to the community will remain on duty on Wednesday.

George H W Bush chair 2
Latif's Jackie Detwiler points to photos of President Bush from his 1988 visit to the downtown Turlock restaurant (CANDY PADILLA/The Journal).

The United States Postal Service will suspend regular mail deliveries, retail services and administrative office activity. The Postal Service will provide limited package delivery service on that day to ensure that the network remains fluid.

In addition, the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq will also be closed. U.S. traders also observed a moment of silence before markets opened on Monday in honor of Bush.

While schools will remain open, the Turlock Unified School District said it will be encouraging its teachers to use the National Day of Mourning as an opportunity to learn about the life and legacy of President Bush.

Vice President Mike Pence paid homage to the former president for his lifetime of service and leadership during a ceremony held Monday preceding the lying in state of Bush in the Capitol Rotunda.

“He served during an uncertain time in the world, made momentous by his leadership.  President Bush oversaw the fall of the Soviet Union, the crumbling of the Berlin Wall, and under his leadership, America won the Cold War.  He took our nation to war to repel aggression in the Persian Gulf and, through his leadership as Commander-in-Chief and the brilliance of our armed forces, the United States won a decisive victory.

“When President George Herbert Walker Bush left office, he left America and the world more peaceful, prosperous, and secure.

“President Bush was a great leader who made a great difference in the life of this nation.  But he was also just a good man who was devoted to his wife, his family, and his friends,” said Pence.

On Tuesday, soldiers, citizens in wheelchairs and long lines of others on foot wound through the Capitol Rotunda on Tuesday to view Bush's casket. Members of the public who never voted for the man waited in the same long lines as the rest, attesting that Bush possessed the dignity and grace that deserved to be remembered by their presence on a cold overcast day in the capital.

Bush's service dog, Sully, was brought to the viewing, too — his main service these last months since Barbara Bush's death in April being to rest his head on her husband's lap. Service dogs are trained to do that.

Inside the Capitol, Sully, the 2-year-old Labrador retriever assigned to Bush, sat by the casket in the company of people who came to commemorate Bush's signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the 1990 law that, among its many provisions, required businesses that prohibit pets to give access to service dogs.

The CIA also honored Bush, the only spy chief to become president, as three agency directors past and present joined the public in the viewing.

Former President George W. Bush, his wife Laura Bush and other members of the Bush family made a surprise visit to the Capitol Rotunda, shaking hands with visitors and tourists lined up to honor the family patriarch.

While the nation paid tribute to Bush in Washington this week, a Turlock restaurant had its own special memorial to the 41st President.

Latif’s Restaurant on Golden State Boulevard in downtown Turlock has always been proud of the day in 1988 when President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush made a campaign trail stop at the diner. The Bushes were traveling with their son Jeb Bush, martial artist and actor Chuck Norris, members of The Beach Boys group and California Governor Duke Deukmejian.

There are a number of photos that commemorate the visit on display behind the cash register and plaques adorn the lunch counter seats where the President and First Lady sat.

The chair that President Bush sat in at Latif's is now decorated with an American flag and a Poinsettia in remembrance the former world leader’s life. 

After services in Washington on Wednesday, Bush's remains will be returned to Houston to lie in repose at St. Martin's Episcopal Church before burial Thursday at his family plot on the presidential library grounds at Texas A&M University in College Station. His final resting place will be alongside Barbara Bush, his wife of 73 years who died in April, and Robin Bush, the daughter they lost to leukemia in 1953 at age 3.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.