Jimmy Carter's 6-day state funeral begins in home state of Georgia

ATLANTA (WANF/Gray News) - The state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter, who died Dec. 29, 2024, started on Saturday.

Carter’s state funeral is a six-day series of events allowing the nation to pay their respects to the 39th U.S. president.

The procession began at about 10:15 a.m. when the Carter family arrived at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia.

Carter’s remains were carried to the hearse by current and former special agents in charge from the United States Secret Service–Carter Protective Division.

The motorcade departed Phoebe Sumter Medical Center at about 10:30 a.m. and traveled through Carter’s hometown of Plains.

A flower drop location was set up at the monument in the Americus downtown square on Highway 280.

The procession stopped at Carter’s boyhood home for a brief pause in front of the family’s farm. During the pause, the National Park Service honored the late president with a salute and ringing of the historic farm bell 39 times.

From there, the late president officially began his final journey to Atlanta.

Once the motorcade arrived in Atlanta at about 3 p.m. it paused at Georgia’s State Capitol for a moment of silence. Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, members of the Georgia legislature and Georgia State Patrol troopers were in attendance.

The motorcade then proceeded to the Carter Presidential Center where Carter’s remains were carried in during the arrival ceremony.

A flower drop site is located at the Carter Center at the complex’s large entrance sign at 453 John Lewis Freedom Parkway N.E., on the property’s northeast corner near the intersection of North Highland Avenue and John Lewis Freedom Parkway.

A private service took place at 4 p.m. at the Carter Presidential Center.

Following the service, Carter will lie in repose. Mourners are invited to come and pay their respects.

The late president will continue to lie in repose until 6 a.m. on Jan. 7. The public is invited to pay their respects throughout this time.

On Jan. 7, Carter will depart the Carter Presidential Center at 9:30 a.m. The late president and his family then travel to Dobbins Air Reserve Base at 10 a.m., where they will board Special Air Mission 39 to travel to Washington at 10:40 a.m.

Special Air Mission 39 will arrive at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, at 12:45 p.m., where Carter’s remains will be transferred with a ceremony to the hearse. Carter and his family will then travel by motorcade at 1:15 p.m. to the U.S. Navy Memorial, where his remains will be transferred from the hearse to a horse-drawn caisson for a funeral procession to the U.S. Capitol at 2 p.m.

Upon arrival at the U.S. Capitol, Carter will be carried by military body bearers into the Rotunda, where members of Congress will pay their respects during a service at 3 p.m.

Carter will then lie in state while the military maintains a guard of honor. The public is invited to pay their respects from 7 p.m. to midnight.

The late president will continue to lie in state while the military maintains a guard of honor. The public is invited to pay their respects from 7 a.m. on Jan. 8 until 7 a.m. on Jan. 9.

Carter will depart from the U.S. Capitol at 9 a.m. The motorcade then will travel to Washington National Cathedral for a brief arrival ceremony at 9:30 a.m., followed by the National Funeral Service at 10 a.m.

Upon conclusion of the service, Carter and his family will travel by motorcade at 11:15 a.m. to Joint Base Andrews, where they board Special Air Mission 39 at 11:45 a.m.

Special Air Mission 39 arrives at Lawson Army Airfield on Fort Moore, Georgia, at 2 p.m., where Carter’s remains will be transferred with a ceremony to the hearse. Carter and his family will then travel by motorcade to Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, arriving at 3:30 p.m., followed by a private funeral service at 3:45 p.m.

After the funeral service, the late president and his family will travel by motorcade at 4:45 p.m. to the Carter residence for a private interment at 5:20 p.m. The public is invited to line the motorcade route through Plains to Carter’s final resting place. Prior to interment, the U.S. Navy will conduct a missing man formation flyover in honor of Carter’s naval service and time as commander-in-chief shortly after the motorcade’s arrival at the residence.

After the Carter Center announced the passing of its founder, President Joe Biden ordered a state funeral and also issued an executive order the day after Carter’s passing, closing all federal government executive departments and agencies on Jan. 9 as a “mark of respect” for the former president. Some federal departments and agencies, his order said, may remain open “for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need.”

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