Washington To commemorate the life of former President Jimmy Carter, dignitaries and mourners assembled at the Washington National Cathedral on a chilly Thursday morning.
The Georgia native and U.S. Navy veteran was characterized as a man dedicated to civil and human rights who led a valiant life of faith and service by speakers at Carter’s state funeral, including President Joe Biden and the sons of Carter’s political contemporaries who gave eulogies penned by their fathers.
In his eulogy, Biden claimed that Carter, the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner, set an example after leaving office by portraying the Georgian as a man of integrity who had a strong belief in God.
Jimmy Carter’s friendship and life lessons taught me that character strength is more than a person’s title or position of authority; it’s the ability to recognize that everyone deserves respect and decency and that everyone, I mean everyone, deserves an equal opportunity, he said.
On December 29, Carter passed away in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, at the age of 100. His remains arrived in the nation’s capital on January 7, and Thursday’s funeral was his last memorial service in Washington.
Of all the presidents of the United States, the previous governor of Peach State lived the longest. Although he only held the office for one term, from 1977 to 1981, he accomplished a lot during his presidency, including signing important diplomatic agreements and implementing energy-related policies.
He founded the Carter Center in Atlanta after leaving the White House. He wrote books and volunteered extensively for the charity organization Habitat for Humanity, which builds inexpensive homes.
The four surviving former U.S. presidents—Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump—were among the numerous state funeral attendance.
According to Biden, the life of his fellow Democratic president is one of a man who never allowed political ups and downs to derail him from his purpose of serving and influencing the globe.
A eulogy prepared by his late father, former President Gerald Ford, was given by Steven Ford.
Gerald Ford wrote that the name Jimmy Carter was synonymous with honesty and telling the truth. His upbringing in the rural South, on the verge of social change, strengthened his honesty, and his devoted parents, Lillian and Earl Carter, ingrained those qualities in him.
In 1976, Carter defeated Republican incumbent Gerald Ford to win the president. According to Steven Ford, the two were close friends.
The homily was delivered by Andrew Young, a former Carter administration U.S. ambassador to the UN.
I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but I still find it difficult to comprehend how someone from Plains, Georgia, could become president. Young made a lighthearted comment while honoring Carter.
Young, who also served as Atlanta’s mayor and Georgia’s congressional representative, said, “I’ve known President Carter for more than half of my life, and I never ceased to be surprised, I never ceased to be enlightened, I never ceased to be inspired by the little deeds of love and mercy that he shared with us every day of his life.”
For me, President James Earl Carter was the personification of the United States of America’s greatness.
The late father’s eulogy was read by Ted Mondale, the son of Carter’s vice president, Walter Mondale.
Walter Mondale noted that although though he and Carter were only in the White House for four years, Carter accomplished so much during that time that it served as a symbol for Americans who were committed to justice and morality.
During the service, Carter’s three grandsons—Josh, James, and Jason—paid tribute to their deceased grandfather.
According to Josh Carter, his late grandfather helped those in need all of his life.
According to Josh Carter, he constructed homes for those in need, eradicated illnesses in neglected locations, and promoted peace wherever he saw an opportunity.
When he recounted these tales in Sunday school, he always claimed to have done it for one straightforward reason: He worshipped the Prince of Peace, and he gave the order. He loved people.
John Lennon’s “Imagine” was sung by country music icons Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, two of Habitat for Humanity’s most well-known volunteers.
After living in the White House, Carter, a peanut farmer, and his late wife, Rosalynn Carter, returned to their hometown of Plains, a small town in southwest Georgia.
At the age of 96, Rosalynn Carter passed away in November 2023. She spent 77 years married to Jimmy Carter.
Throughout this week, Carter’s remains lay in state at the U.S. Capitol, followed by the state funeral. During a public viewing that started Tuesday evening and lasted Thursday morning, mourners paid their respects to the former president. In remembrance of the former president, Biden proclaimed January 9 to be a national day of mourning.
On Thursday, Carter’s remains will go to Georgia, where it will be buried in Plains and given a private funeral.
