Former first lady Barbara Bush died earlier this week after deciding to stop treatment for her declining health. According to USA Today, her husband, former President George H.W. Bush, held her hands for hours the day that she died. And that kind of connection has made their love story one for the ages.The couple, who were together for over seven decades, shared some of the letters they wrote during the earlier days of their relationship on the "Today" show in 2011 with their granddaughter, "Today" show correspondent Jenna Bush Hager.In the resurfaced clip, George H.W. Bush reads a number of letters he wrote while he was away fighting in World War II. "I love you precious with all my heart and to know that you love me, means my life," he wrote in one letter. "Goodnight my beautiful. Every time I say beautiful, you about kill me but you'll have to accept it," he read from another.Barbara's letters she had sent at the time were lost after George's plane was shot down. Barbara says in the video had received one saying that he was doing well, but it was written before he was shot down and she didn't know about the plane crash for some time. The last letter that George read in the clip was from their 49th wedding anniversary in 1994."Will you marry me? Oops, I forgot. You did that 49 years ago today. I was very happy on that day in 1945, but I'm even happier today. You've given me joy few men know," George read. "I've climbed perhaps the highest mountain in the world, but even that cannot hold a candle to being Barbara's husband. Mom used to tell me, "now George, don't walk ahead."' "You never listened to your mother," Barbara joked. "Little did I know, I was only trying to keep up with Barbara Pierce from Onondaga St in Rye, New York. I love you," he finishes, trying to hold back tears. The couple celebrated their 66th Valentine's Day together in 2011. Hager asked if he would write her a letter for the special occasion."I don't think I will this year, Jenna," he replies."I'll be with him," Barbara says. "If I wrote him a letter today, I would write the same letter. I love him that much."