Atlanta, GA
Rosalynn Carter motorcade: Former first lady to lie in repose in Atlanta
PLAINS, Ga. – Rosalynn Carter will make her final journey to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta on Monday as her family and the nation begin three days of memorials for the former first lady.
The Georgia native and global humanitarian died on Nov. 19 at the age of 96.
After brief ceremonies in the Carters’ native Sumter County in south Georgia, Rosalynn Carter’s remains will travel by motorcade to Atlanta, where she will lie in repose at The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum.
The motorcade will leave around 10 a.m., traveling through downtown Americus before making a brief stop at Georgia Southwestern State University. That’s where a wreath-laying ceremony at the Rosalynn Carter Health and Human Science Complex will take place.
From there, the motorcade will start its journey to the Peach State’s capital, where hundreds of people are expected to gather to watch the motorcade for Georgia’s “Steel Magnolia” pass by.
Rosalynn Carter Plains procession preparation
The world is preparing to say their final goodbyes to former first lady Rosalynn Carter. FOX 5 reporter Tyler Fingert says hundreds, if not thousands, of mourners are expected to turn out for Monday’s procession and Wednesday’s private funeral, both in Plains, Georgia. Just steps from the route, there’s also a growing memorial.
Route for Rosalynn Carter motorcade released
The library will be open from 6 to 10 p.m., offering the most direct opportunity for the public to pay their respects during the three-day tribute. Two funerals, set for Tuesday in Atlanta and Wednesday in the Carters’ hometown of Plains, are for invited guests.
Visitors to the Carter Center should park at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 435 Peachtree Street. Shuttles will be available to bring the public to and from the Carter Center.
Former President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter attend church on Easter Sunday at Maranatha Baptist Church on April 20, 2014 in Plains, Georgia. (Photo by Chris McKay/Getty Images)
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, longtime friends of the Carters, are expected to attend the Atlanta service. While motorcade routes will be open throughout the schedule, Rosalynn Carter’s burial on Wednesday in Plains is private.
It is not known whether former president Jimmy Carter, who is 99 and in his 10th month of hospice care, will take part in the events. Those close to his immediate family have said he will make every effort as he grieves his partner of more than 77 years.
Carter family visits Rosalynn Carter mural
As tributes keep pouring in for Rosalynn Carter, the Carter family met with the artist who produced a mural honoring the former first lady and her husband, former President Jimmy Carter. The work of art is etched into the grass at Freedom Park, near Little Five Points.
Funeral, memorial plans announced for former first lady Rosalynn Carter
The schedule, a product of detailed planning that involved the former first couple, reflects the range of Rosalynn Carter’s interests and impact. That includes her advocacy for better mental health treatment and the elevation of caregiving, her role as Jimmy Carter’s closest adviser and her status as matriarch of Plains and Maranatha Baptist Church, where she and the former president served in various roles after leaving the White House in 1981.
“We’re going to make sure that she knows that we all love her,” said Kim Fuller, the Carters’ niece. “We’re going to send her off with a wonderful, wonderful send-off.”
Georgia Girl Scouts pay tribute to Honorary National President Rosalynn Carter
A detailed schedule is available here. Events will be streamed and broadcast by FOX 5 online.
Rosalynn Carter has asked for donations to the Carter Center’s Mental Health Program or the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers in lieu of flowers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.