Former 39th President Jimmy Carter’s weeklong funeral services began on Saturday with a stop in front of his childhood home in Plains, Georgia. As his motorcade stopped near the house, a bell rang out 39 times— one of the many tributes to be made this week in his honor. Individuals gathered in the area to place flowers at the base of Carter's monument and Habitat for Humanity hard hats and handwritten messages, including one that read, "God bless you, Mr. President.”
The funeral services for Carter mark the start of a final farewell to one of America's longest-serving leaders. As Americans honor his legacy, family, friends, admirers, and even foes have gathered to pay their respects. Despite many disagreeing with his policies and agenda items during his presidency, Carter’s work in global humanitarian efforts, which include his leadership with Habitat for Humanity and efforts to promote peace, left an incredible mark on the world.
President Jimmy Carter's motorcade pauses at his boyhood home in Plains, GA. The National Park Service renders a salute to the late president and ring the historic farm bell 39 times. pic.twitter.com/VJjBFnFsMe
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 4, 2025
Former President Jimmy Carter's casket passed his childhood home in Plains, Georgia, on its way to Atlanta. A bell ceremony took place to honor the former president, ringing 39 times in honor of the 39th president of the United States. https://t.co/IgpagHoafm pic.twitter.com/l1QR0fQWKE
— ABC News (@ABC) January 4, 2025
On Saturday, Carter’s motorcade will stop at the state Capitol before an evening service at the Carter Center. The late president and his family are scheduled to travel to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. The motorcade will pause at the Georgia State Capitol for a moment of silence, led by Gov. Brian Kemp (R-Ga.), Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens (D), and members of the Georgia General Assembly. Georgia State Patrol troopers will assemble on the Capitol steps along with those who served on the former president’s security detail during his governorship.
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The funeral service, which will conclude after six days, comes after the former president died at the age of 100. His death comes more than a year after his wife, Rossalyn, died on Nov. 19, 2023, at the age of 96.
On Jan. 9, Carter's national funeral will be held at the Washington National Cathedral. President Joe Biden is slated to deliver the eulogy. His remains will then return to Georgia for a private funeral at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains before being laid to his final resting place next to Rosalynn at their residence.
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