Jimmy Carter's funeral begins with a trip to his childhood home in Atlanta

A week-long state funeral honoring former President Jimmy Carter, who died last week at the age of 100, began Saturday morning. The ceremony will honor Mr. Carter's journey from his hometown of Plains, Georgia, to his esteemed role on the global humanitarian stage, and as the 39th president of the United States.

On Saturday morning, people gathered in downtown Plains to lay flowers at the base of Carter's monument. The memorial service also featured Habitat for Humanity helmets decorated with handwritten messages, including one that read, “God bless you, Mr. President,” USA Today first reported.

Mr. Carter is the oldest living president, with President Biden currently serving at the age of 82 years and 2 months.

The exact cause of Carter's death on Dec. 29 was unknown. Mr. Carter's death followed the death of his wife, Rosalyn, on November 19, 2023. She passed away at the age of 96, surrounded by her family, at the Carter home in Plains, days after being admitted to hospice care.

Mr. Carter's motorcade arrived at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta just before 4 p.m. ET. As his coffin was lowered, a military band played “Long Live the Chief.”

A private memorial service remembered Mr. Carter and shared the story of his life.

His son, James Earl Carter III, spoke of a kind but firm parent who spent time with the Boy Scouts of America and took the family on vacations.

“Chip” Carter said that when he was once working on a hiking merit badge, their troop hiked six miles to his family's farm.

President Carter told ghost stories while roasting marshmallows and hot dogs over the fire. Some stories appeared to scare the scouts into adopting a “buddy system” when leaving the relative safety of fire to use the restroom, etc.

I remember when Chip was in 8th grade, he got an “F” on his Latin exam and went home just before Christmas break.

“I didn't see any reason to learn Latin. Nobody spoke much Latin,” he quipped. “But my father was not satisfied.”

During his vacation, President Carter picked up Chip's Latin textbook and studied it, returning each day to teach Chip what he had learned on his own.

When Chip returned to school in January, he asked his teacher to retake the exam. When she agreed, he went home with a 100% score.

The Morehouse College Glee Club provided musical accompaniment during the service, including the Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Carter's body will lie in state at the Presidential Center overnight, during which time the nation can pay its respects.

Carter's casket will then be taken to the District of Columbia, where the 39th president will be placed in state at the U.S. Capitol until his funeral Thursday morning in northwestern Washington, D.C., where President Biden will join his fellow Democrats. and other living presidents. – Clinton, GW Bush, Obama, Trump – received invitations.

Late Saturday morning, Carter's motorcade left his hometown of Plains. Plains is a small farming community located just below Fort Benning (now Fort Moore) and two hours above Tallahassee, Florida.

Funeral details for Carter arrived in Atlanta Saturday afternoon. He will be laid to rest at the Carter Center. On the way there, the motorcade passed Rosalynn Carter's childhood home. The couple had been married for 77 years when Mrs. Carter died.

Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States, dies at age 100

Former and current U.S. Secret Service agents assigned to Mr. Carter's funeral service hold former President Jimmy Carter's flag-draped casket at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia, Saturday, January 4, 2025. move. Mr. Carter passed away on December 29th. 100 years old. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The motorcade also passed near Carter's 1976 presidential campaign headquarters and a gas station owned by his brother Billy Carter, the Associated Press reported.

The motorcade also passed through the small community of Archery, Georgia, just outside of Plains.

Mr. Carter grew up in Archery on a peanut farm owned by James Earl Carter Sr. On Saturday, the farm bell rang 39 times in honor of the 39th president.

Carter's mother, Lillian, was a nurse and, ironically, gave birth to Rosalyn Smith, who later married his son.

Carter's body arrived in Atlanta around 3 p.m. ET and was parked outside the Georgia state capitol, where he once ruled.

Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp and Atlanta Democratic Mayor Andre Dickens observed a moment of silence.

On April 7, 1980, U.S. President Jimmy Carter announced new sanctions against Iran in retaliation for the taking of American hostages in Washington, DC. (Marion S. Tricosco/Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The order of the funeral is as follows:

Saturday, January 4th:

●10:15 a.m.: The Carter family arrives at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia. Nine current and former Secret Service agents from the Carter administration will serve as pallbearers and escort the remains to the hearse.

•10:50 a.m.: The motorcade passes through the Plains, stopping briefly at Carter's childhood archery home. During this hiatus, the National Park Service will ring the historic farm bell 39 times, symbolizing Carter's tenure as the 39th president.

•10:55am: Journey to Atlanta begins.

Former President Jimmy Carter will spend 'the rest of his time' at home receiving hospice care

Carter Center as Amy Carter and her husband John Joseph “Jay” Kelly watch in the foreground during a service for former President Jimmy Carter at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta on Saturday. CEO Paige Alexander touches the coffin. . (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)

•3 p.m.: Upon arrival in Atlanta, the motorcade stops at the Georgia State Capitol for a moment of silence led by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Bert Jones, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, and members of the Georgia General Assembly. dedicate. .

Current and retired members of the Georgia State Patrol will gather on the steps of the Capitol, and a member who served as security guard during the Carter administration will take the position of honor.

Tom Chaffin laid flowers at the entrance to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta on Tuesday. Mr. Carter died on Sunday at the age of 100. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

●3:45 p.m.: An arrival ceremony will be held at the Carter Presidential Center.

•4 p.m.: A private service will be held in the lobby of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum.

•7:00 p.m.: President Carter will rest at the Carter Presidential Center and the public may pay their respects until 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 7th.

A jar of peanuts is one of the things left at the entrance to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Center in honor of former President Jimmy Carter. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Further service:

•January. 7th: Carter's remains are transported to Washington, D.C., and placed in state at the U.S. Capitol for national mourning.

•January. 9th: A national funeral will be held at the Washington National Cathedral, where President Biden is scheduled to deliver the eulogy. Biden declared Thursday a national day of mourning.

Jimmy Carter plans to lie in state in the rotunda ahead of state funeral planned by Biden

A hearse carrying former President Jimmy Carter's flag-draped casket pulled up outside the state Capitol in Atlanta on Saturday. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)

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After the service in Washington, Carter's remains will be returned to Georgia for a private burial at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains.

He will then be buried next to his late wife Rosalyn at her home.

Fox News Digital’s Andrea Magolis and The Associated Press contributed to this report.