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Former president Jimmy Carter has arrived at his final resting place. In his hometown of Georgia, the 39th president of the United States was buried on January 9 beside his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter.
Less than three months after turning 100, Carter, the oldest living president of the United States, passed away quietly at home in Plains, Georgia, with his loved ones by his side. Following his passing, thousands of people came to pay their respects on January 8 at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta and the U.S. Capitol.
All five of the current presidents, including Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and President-elect Donald Trump, attended the funeral service held at the National Cathedral on the morning of January 9 to honor the life of the late president. In keeping a pledge he made to the 39th president prior to his death, President Biden paid tribute to his longtime friend.
After the ceremony, Carter's casket was driven 40 miles back to his cherished hometown, where he taught Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, for a private funeral service. And soon after, Carter and his family joined Rosalyn, who passed away in November 2023 at the age of 96, at their final resting place by motorcade—the route encircled by people paying their respects.
In addition to his eleven grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren, the Democratic leader is survived by his four children: John William "Jack" Carter, James E. "Chip" Carter III, Donnel Jeffrey "Jeff" Carter, and Amy Carter.
In a statement released by the Carter Center on December 29, Chip said, "My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love."
"With these shared beliefs, my siblings, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world," he added. "We thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs, and because of the way he brought people together, the world is our family."
President Carter centered his efforts on humanitarian causes and placed his trust "in the hands of God" before his death. The former president also revealed that he found serenity in the rewarding life he was able to lead after battling brain cancer in 2015.
"My life has been amazing. Carter told reporters at the time, "I was surprisingly at ease because I've had thousands of friends and an exciting, adventurous, and gratifying existence." "But now I feel, you know, it's in the hands of God, who I worship, and I'll be prepared for anything that comes."
