Funeral of former US president Jimmy Carter begins with coffin procession through South Georgia
Six-days of funeral observations for former US president Jimmy Carter have begun on Saturday in South Georgia where he died on December 29 at the age of 100.
A funeral procession which saw his coffin, draped with the American flag, was driven through his hometown of Plains, Georgia from the Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus.
Former secret service agents that worked with Carter served as his pallbearer as they walked alongside the hearse on the way to Plains where it passed the Methodist church where Mr Carter married his wife Rosalynn in 1946 and the home where they both lived and died.
The Georgian governor, who started as a peanut farmer, served just one term as president following the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam war from 1976 to 1980 when Ronald Reagan defeated him.
The procession stopped outside the old train depot which was used as Mr Carter's presidential campaign headquarters and his boyhood home and family farm in Archery, just outside Plains, after passing the cemetery where his parents James Earl Carter Sr. and Lillian Carter, are buried.
The old farm bell was rang 39 times to honor the 39th president. The farm is now part of the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park.
From Archery the procession will make its way north to Atlanta where it will stop for \ moment of silence outside the Georgia Capitol where he served as a state senator from 1963 to 1967 and governor from 1971 to 1975.
His coffin will then continue onto the Carter Presidential Centre for a private service starting at 9pm GMT and will lie in repose for the public to pay their respects around the clock.
The ceremony is expected to include some of The Carter Center's global staff of 3,000 whose work concentrating on international diplomacy and mediation. It is in part his post-presidential work that he won the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize.
Mr Carter's remains will then be taken to Washington where he will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda until his funeral on Thursday at the Washington National Cathedral where all living presidents have been invited, including Jo Biden who will deliver a eulogy.
Finally, the former peanut farmer will return to his home for a private funeral at the Maranatha Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday School and will be laid to rest at a private burial near his home.
His son, Chip Carter, said: “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love.
“My brothers, sister and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs.
“The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honouring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.”
The former president once said: “I’ve had a wonderful life [...] I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.”
James Earl Carter Jr. lived more than 80 of his 100 years in and around the town, which still has fewer than 700 people.
Other modern presidents, including Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton also grew up in rural settings, but Carter stands out for returning and remaining in his birthplace for his long post-presidency.
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