The final journey of Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, began on Saturday in Plains, Georgia, the small town where he was born over a century ago. A somber motorcade, carrying his flag-draped casket, departed from the Phoebe Sumter medical center in Americus. Former Secret Service agents, who had served as his protectors, acted as pallbearers, their hands resting on their hearts as a mournful train whistle echoed the gravity of the moment. The Carter family – children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren – accompanied the procession, marking the start of a six-day state funeral.
The procession wound its way through Plains, passing the former president’s boyhood home. Along the route, residents lined the streets, many carrying flowers or wearing commemorative pins, eager to pay their respects. Among them was 12-year-old Will Porter Shelbrock, who traveled from Gainesville, Florida, with his grandmother. Shelbrock, born long after Carter left office in 1981, expressed his admiration for the former president’s humanitarian efforts, his commitment to peace, and his forward-thinking initiatives, such as installing solar panels on the White House. His grandmother, Susan Cone, shared in this sentiment.
Carter, and his late wife Rosalynn, who passed away in November 2023, spent most of their lives in and around Plains, aside from his naval career and time spent serving as Georgia’s governor and president. The motorcade paused in front of Carter’s family farm, where the National Park Service solemnly rang the old farm bell 39 times – a tribute to his presidency.
From Plains, the procession continued to Atlanta. A moment of silence was observed at the Georgia State Capitol before a ceremony at the Carter Presidential Center, where Carter’s body will lie in repose until Tuesday. On Tuesday, the casket will be transported to Washington, D.C., to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol. A state funeral will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Washington National Cathedral, followed by a private burial service at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where he will be laid to rest beside Rosalynn.