Jimmy Carter’s state funeral has started, and here’s what to know about the initial ceremonies. The former US President died on December 29 at the age of 100.
The funeral begins with the arrival of the Carter family at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia. A motorcade then travels through Carter’s hometown of Plains, Georgia, passing by his boyhood home and the family farm that is now part of the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park.
Former Secret Service agents who protected Carter served as pallbearers, walking alongside the hearse as it exited the campus on its way to Plains. The motorcade also passed near Rosalynn Smith Carter’s girlhood home and the old train depot where Jimmy Carter ran his 1976 presidential campaign headquarters.
The ceremony will continue with a stop at the Methodist church where the Carters married, followed by a visit to the cemetery where James Earl Carter Sr., Jimmy’s father, is buried. The National Park Service rang the old farm bell 39 times to honor the 39th president.
After passing through Atlanta, the motorcade will arrive at the Carter Presidential Center for a private service. The former President will lie in repose for the public to pay respects from Saturday evening until Monday morning.
Carter’s remains will then travel to Washington, where he will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda before his funeral at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday. A eulogy by Joe Biden will be delivered during the service.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/jimmy-carter-funeral-b55e0689cf66809997dc6d54849f6e81