Updated January 04, 2025 at 18:05 PM ET
ATLANTA — The first day of funeral services for former President Jimmy Carter has concluded in Georgia, where he lived most of his life and spent his post-presidential time focused on humanitarian work.
In the days after Carter died at home on Sunday at the age of 100, mourners from all over the country flocked to the state to pay respects as tributes poured in from across the world.
Early Saturday morning in Carter's hometown of Plains, people left flowers, flags and blue Habitat for Humanity hats at a marble monument to the peanut farmer-turned-politician downtown.
Among those gathered were Sarah and London Wollenweber, who drove 12 hours from Bloomington, Ill., on Thursday to see the funeral procession pass through. London, a high-school aged student, told Georgia Public Broadcasting's Grant Blankenship that four years ago he made his mom promise to take him to see one of Carter's memorial services when he died.
"When we look back at all the former presidents in American history, he's the one that truly stands out as the one who's continued to do the most work for this country and for the world around us," he said.
The state funeral events began Saturday morning with a group of current and former leaders of Carter's Secret Service protection detail carrying his casket to a waiting hearse. After driving through Plains, where Carter was born and spent most of his life, the motorcade stopped at Carter's boyhood home, now part of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Park.
National Park staffers rang the farmhouse bell 39 times to honor the 39th president before the motorcade began a winding procession through the backroads of Georgia to the interstate, ending with a moment of silence at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta.
Carter had little national name recognition when he was elected president in 1976, having served in the Georgia Senate and one term as governor of the state before moving to the White House. After a crushing defeat in 1980, Carter returned home to Georgia and established The Carter Center, a humanitarian nonprofit that focuses on public health, democracy and other global issues.
A funeral ceremony at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta on Saturday included music from the Morehouse College Glee Club and remarks from family members including grandson Jason Carter, who said the day's service was also a tribute to the work and dedication of the employees of The Carter Center and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum.
"We will spend this week celebrating this incredible life, and a life that I think we can all agree is as full and powerful as any life can be," he said. "As someone said, it's amazing what you can cram into 100 years. But as we celebrate that legacy, I want you to know that in many ways, we're talking about the work that you do every day."
Members of the public will be able to pay their respects as Carter lies in repose from 7 p.m. ET Saturday through 6 a.m. ET Tuesday.
After departing Atlanta Tuesday morning, Carter's remains will travel to Washington, D.C., to the U.S. Navy Memorial and the U.S. Capitol, where he will lie in state from 7 p.m. Tuesday through 7 a.m. Thursday.
After leaving the Capitol, Carter's motorcade will travel to the Washington National Cathedral for a National Funeral Service before a final flight back to Georgia.
There, a private funeral at Carter's Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains will be followed by interment at the family home in a private ceremony.
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