Jimmy Carter’s State Funeral Begins Saturday For Six Days/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Six days of memorial events for Jimmy Carter, the 39th president, begin Saturday in Georgia, honoring his life from humble rural roots to global humanitarianism. Key events include a motorcade through Plains, lying in repose in Atlanta, and a state funeral in Washington, D.C.
Honoring Jimmy Carter: Quick Looks
- Start of Memorials: Funeral observances begin Saturday, reflecting Carter’s journey from Plains, Georgia, to global prominence.
- Motorcade Route: Passes significant landmarks, including Carter’s boyhood home and the church where he married Rosalynn.
- Public Viewing: Carter will lie in repose at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta from Saturday night to Monday morning.
- State Funeral: Scheduled for Thursday at Washington National Cathedral, with President Joe Biden delivering a eulogy.
- Final Resting Place: Carter will be buried alongside Rosalynn in Plains, near their family home.
Jimmy Carter’s State Funeral Begins Saturday For Six Days
Deep Look
The life and legacy of former President Jimmy Carter will be honored in a series of memorial events beginning Saturday in Georgia. The ceremonies, which reflect Carter’s rise from rural roots to international statesmanship, will span six days and include stops in Plains, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. Carter passed away on December 29 at age 100.
Roots in Rural Georgia
The observances start at 10:15 a.m. EST, with the Carter family arriving at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus. A motorcade will then pass through Plains, Georgia, Carter’s lifelong home, and a town of fewer than 700 people.
Landmarks along the route include:
- The Methodist church where Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter married in 1946.
- The Carter family peanut warehouses.
- The train depot that served as his 1976 presidential campaign headquarters.
The motorcade will also stop at Carter’s boyhood home in Archery, where the National Park Service will ring a farm bell 39 times in honor of the 39th president. The site reflects Carter’s blend of privilege and hard work, having grown up on a family farm without electricity or running water during the Great Depression.
Lying in Repose in Atlanta
After leaving Plains, the motorcade will arrive in Atlanta, where Carter will be honored at the Georgia Capitol. Governor Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens will lead a moment of silence.
At 3:45 p.m., the motorcade will reach the Carter Presidential Center, where Carter’s body will lie in repose for public viewing from Saturday night through Monday morning. A private service at the center will precede the viewing.
The Carter Center, co-founded by Jimmy and Rosalynn in 1982, has been pivotal in advancing international diplomacy, election monitoring, and disease eradication. Carter’s work earned him the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize.
State Funeral in Washington
Carter’s remains will travel to Washington, D.C., where he will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda before his state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday. President Joe Biden, a longtime ally of Carter, will deliver a eulogy.
The service will include dignitaries and all living former presidents.
Final Farewell in Plains
The Carter family will return to Plains for a private hometown funeral at Maranatha Baptist Church, where Carter taught Sunday School for decades. The former president will then be buried alongside Rosalynn in a private ceremony. His grave, located near their family home, will be visible from the front porch.
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