Farewell Ceremonies Begin for Former President Jimmy Carter

Loved ones and admirers of former President Jimmy Carter will begin to say goodbye, as his homegoing ceremonies commence Saturday.

State funeral events started at 10:15 a.m. ET Saturday, with Carter’s family gathering at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia. The late president’s casket will then be carried by his Secret Service detail to a hearse. A motorcade will make its way through Plains, Georgia, where Carter spent most of his life, including a stop at his family farm, before heading to the Georgia State Capitol for a moment of silence.

Carter was little known nationally when elected in 1976, having served in the Georgia Senate and as governor. After a loss in 1980, he returned to Georgia, where he founded the Carter Center, focusing on public health and global democracy issues. After his White House stint, Carter and his wife Rosalynn dedicated their time to a wide range of charitable causes, including volunteering with Habitat for Humanity for years.

A funeral service will be held at the Center at 4 p.m. ET Saturday, followed by public visitation as Carter lies in repose from 7 p.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Tuesday. On Tuesday morning, his remains will be transported to Washington, D.C., for lying in state at the U.S. Capitol from 7 p.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Thursday.

Carter’s final journey concludes with a National Funeral Service at Washington National Cathedral before returning to Georgia for a private funeral and interment at the family home.

Carter passed away at the age of 100 just before the new year on Sunday, December 29th, 2024.