Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was laid to rest on Thursday, Jan. 9, in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. He died at the age of 100 on Dec. 29.
A private memorial and burial capped six days of official funeral services for the 39th president, starting with the transport of Carter’s remains from Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus to his hometown on Jan. 4.
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The motorcade made its way through Plains with a brief pause in front of Carter’s boyhood home and farm. During the pause, the National Park Service saluted the late president by ringing the historic farm bell 39 times.
From there it was on to Atlanta, with a stop at the State Capitol for a moment of silence before heading to the Carter Presidential Center for a private service, after which Carter lay in repose “for mourners to come and pay their respects continuously until 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7.”
Public visitations there ended last Tuesday, at which point the deceased president left his namesake center “for the final time with a departure ceremony.”
Carter and his family then traveled to Dobbins Air Reserve Base and departed for Washington to the U.S. Navy Memorial, where his remains were transferred to a horse-drawn caisson for a procession to the U.S. Capitol for visitation by members of Congress and the public.
Last Thursday, Carter was taken to the Washington National Cathedral for his National Funeral Service, with five current and former presidents attending. Afterward, he was flown back to Georgia to return to his hometown for a private service at Maranatha Baptist Church.
People lined the motorcade route during Carter’s last trip through town. After arriving at his residence for a private interment ceremony, the Navy conducted a “Missing Man” formation flyover “in honor of former President Carter’s naval service and time as commander in chief.”
President Joe Biden has ordered that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff at the White House and all public buildings for 30 days from Carter’s date of death, and many businesses and residents across the country have joined in the recognition.
For weeks now, Americans have been contemplating Carter’s legacy in light of his death.
Carter, who served as the 39th U.S. president from 1977 to 1981, is seen by many as the embodiment of the American Dream, having grown up on a peanut farm before joining the military and rising to the top political office in the land.
As president, the former Democratic governor of Georgia struggled on both the national stage and internationally.
“Jimmy Carter aspired to make Government ‘competent and compassionate,’ responsive to the American people and their expectations,” according to his biography at whitehouse.gov. “His achievements were notable, but in an era of rising energy costs, mounting inflation, and continuing tensions, it was impossible for his administration to meet these high expectations.”
In many ways, Carter hit his stride after his presidency, becoming synonymous with humanitarian work by championing efforts like Habitat for Humanity, which makes affordable housing a reality for families facing financial hardships – including in this very community.
Regarded for his honesty and deep integrity, Carter exuded an “everyman” aura that belied his station in life. He was seemingly most at home amid a rural backdrop, even as president, taking part in ways of life cherished in regions like the North Georgia Mountains.
The farmer turned president famously visited this area for two days in July 1980, arriving via helicopter on the Hiawassee farm of Reuben Walls as chronicled in the Towns County Herald.
“He was met at the field by a crowd of about 300 spectators, some of whom had waited in the heat for as high as four hours,” per past reporting. “After waving to the crowd, Carter and his tourage drove from the landing site to the farm of family friend Don Carter, no relation, where he plans to do some serious trout fishing.”
At the time, local couple Richard and Willene Haigler welcomed Carter’s Secret Service detail to stay in cabins at their Deer Lodge in Towns County. The event still holds significance to the Haiglers all these years later.
“I’ve got a check from the White House that’s never been cashed,” Richard told the Clay County Progress shortly after Carter’s death, joking that he was saving the $267 check “for hard times.”
Willene, a fan of the president’s, wrote him a letter, and Carter sent her a signed picture of him and former First Lady Rosalynn.
The Haiglers have collected other Carter-era memorabilia over the years, including a framed photograph of the Carters landing via helicopter in Hiawassee.
“I liked Jimmy Carter,” Richard said. “He was a working man. He came home and worked the peanut farm. After he retired, he built houses for the needy. He was always on the go. I will remember him as a good man.”
Clay County Progress Publisher Becky Long contributed to this reporting.
