The extended farewell for Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States and a global humanitarian, began Saturday in Georgia.
Carter’s flag-draped casket traversed the path of his life, from his humble beginnings in Plains to his extraordinary contributions as president and beyond.
The six-day state funeral is designed to blend personal remembrances with the formal honours accorded to a former president. Carter passed away on December 29, at the age of 100, the longest-lived US president in history.
Life of dedication and partnership
Son James Earl “Chip” Carter III reflected on the profound partnership between his parents, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. “He was an amazing man. He was held up and propped up and soothed by an amazing woman. The two of them together changed the world”, he said.
Grandson Jason Carter, now chair of the Carter Center governing board, said, “It’s amazing what you can cram into a hundred years,” as he addressed mourners gathered at the Carter Presidential Center.
From plains to world stage
The motorcade began its journey in Plains, the small Georgia town where Carter was born in 1924. Stopping at the family farm where he once worked alongside Black sharecroppers, the procession then moved to Atlanta, pausing at the Georgia Capitol, where Carter served as a reformist state senator and governor.
It concluded at the Carter Presidential Center, where his post-presidency legacy as a champion of public health, democracy, and human rights continues to inspire.
Jason Carter said, “His spirit fills this place. You continue the vibrant living legacy of what is my grandfather’s life work.”
Honouring lifetime of service
Pallbearers included Secret Service agents who protected the Carters for nearly half a century, alongside a military honour guard, underscoring Carter’s role as the only Naval Academy graduate to ascend to the presidency.
A military band performed “Hail to the chief” and the hymn “Be thou my vision,” reflecting Carter’s devout Baptist faith.
Chip Carter shared a poignant memory of his father’s dedication, recounting how the president spent an entire Christmas break teaching him Latin so he could pass an eighth-grade test and said, “I owed it to my father, who spent that kind of time with me.”
Carter’s life was shaped by the rural South’s poverty and segregation, experiences he frequently credited with inspiring his lifelong advocacy for equality and justice. At the Carter farm, National Park Service rangers stood in formation as the old farm bell rang 39 times, honouring Carter’s place as the 39th president.
Calvin Smyre, a former Georgia legislator, reflected on Carter’s transformative impact, “What he did shocked and shook the political ground here in the state of Georgia. And we live better because of that.”
Jimmy Carter will lie in repose at the Carter Presidential Center until Tuesday morning, with public visitation available 24/7. National rites will continue in Washington, culminating Thursday with a funeral at Washington National Cathedral. Carter will then return to Plains for burial beside Rosalynn, his wife of 77 years, near the home they built in 1962.
