Jimmy Carter, the beloved 39th president of the United States, passed on Dec. 29, 2024, at the age of 100. His funeral was held in Washington D.C on Tuesday, Jan. 7, and he was mourned by millions of Americans who were moved by his steadfast character.
Carter announced his candidacy as the Democratic nominee in 1974, and after three years on the campaign trail, won the election by over 50 electoral votes over his opponent Gerald Ford. For years, Carter served as a public servant helping Americans, and was even awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 for his efforts. He worked to combat inflation, end racial discrimination, and establish a national energy policy. (The White House).
“Fifty years ago he was a climate warrior who pushed for a world where we conserved energy, limited emissions and traded our reliance on fossil fuels for expanded renewable sources,” Jimmy Carter’s grandson Jason Carter said at the funeral (AP News).
To celebrate his great accomplishments, millions of Americans attended and watched his funeral. Throughout his speech at the funeral, Jason Carter spoke about cherishing the time he had with his grandfather. Jason Carter spoke of his grandfather’s devotion to God, as Jimmy Carter reportedly taught his own Sunday School class back in his hometown.
“From the moment that he woke up until he laid his head, his life was a tesament to the goodness of God,” Jason Carter said in the broadcast of the funeral.
President Joe Biden, a lifelong friend of Carter, provided a eulogy at the funeral. He reflected on Carter’s character, often cited as humble and honest, and remembered their near fifty year friendship.
“It’s the strength to understand that everyone should be treated with dignity, respect, that everyone, and I mean everyone, deserves an even shot,” President Biden said in the broadcast.
All five of the former, living presidents attended the funeral to pay their respects to Carter. Despite recent political drama surrounding the presidential election, both Kamala Harris and president-elect Donald Trump attended, as well as Hillary Clinton alongside her husband and 42nd president, Bill Clinton, regardless of her past disputes with Trump.
The service lasted about 2 hours. President Carter planned the event himself with the help of his wife, Rosalynn Carter, beginning many years prior to his passing and involving some of his favorite music as reported by NPR.
President Carter will be transported to Georgia for a private funeral in Atlanta before being transported to his hometown in Plains to be laid to rest.
