On Thursday, January 9, the state funeral of the 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, was solemnly held at the Washington National Cathedral, followed by a second funeral and burial ceremony in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, commemorating the man who grew from a boy on a small farm during the Great Depression to a global leader.
The funeral took place at 10 a.m. Eastern time at the Washington National Cathedral. President Biden delivered a eulogy and declared today a national day of mourning. President Carter’s casket departed from Washington at 9 a.m. to head to the cathedral. After the ceremony, the casket will be returned to Georgia.
President Carter will be buried in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, at the Maranatha Baptist Church. After a private funeral ceremony, he will be laid to rest next to his wife of 77 years, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. The burial site is near the home they built together before his first run for state senator in 1962.
Former President Trump, current President Biden, and three former Presidents Obama, George W. Bush, and Clinton gathered together to attend President Carter’s state funeral, a rare occurrence.
President Biden declared Thursday a national day of mourning, which means federal offices, banks, stock markets, and postal services will be closed.
President Carter’s four children, numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as many relatives, will attend his state funeral.
President Carter’s wife Rosalynn Carter passed away in 2023 at the age of 96. The Carters hold the record for the longest marriage of any U.S. president, at 77 years.
The bond between the two was remarkable. Carter’s mother, Lillian Carter, a nurse, delivered Rosalynn in Plains and brought young Jimmy to meet the newborn shortly after her birth.
Rosalynn became one of the most active first ladies in U.S. history, supporting Carter throughout his political rise, even sitting in on cabinet meetings in Washington.
President Biden is the highest-ranking speaker at Carter’s state funeral. Other speakers include several individuals from different stages of Carter’s centennial life, such as his grandson and current Carter Center board chairman Jason Carter, Stu Eizenstat who shaped Carter’s domestic policies, and Andrew Young, Carter’s fellow townsperson and former UN ambassador.
Steve Ford, grandson of the 38th and 40th President of the United States, Gerald Ford, will read his grandfather’s eulogy. Ford lost to Carter in 1976 and passed away in 2006. Ted Mondale, son of Carter’s Vice President Walter Mondale, will read the tribute his father wrote for President Carter before he passed away in 2021.