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Jimmy Carter laid to rest at National Cathedral

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Published  January 9, 2025 5:00pm EST
Politics
FOX 13 News

Final sendoff for President Jimmy Carter

FOX 13's Evan Axelbank reports on the funeral of President Jimmy Carter, which took place Thursday at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

The Brief

    • Inside President Jimmy Carter's funeral service at the National Cathedral.
    • Carter was eulogized by Gerald Ford's son Steven, President Joe Biden, and his grandson Jason Carter.
    • Carter was taken back to his hometown of Plains, Georgia.

WASHINGTON D.C. - Jimmy Carter's final trip to a town he had never felt quite at home in began with a welcome from a pastor. 

"With faith in Jesus Christ, we receive the body of our brother James for burial." 

Jimmy Carter's body being carried into the National Cathedral for his funeral service.

Jimmy Carter's body being carried into the National Cathedral for his funeral service.

Waiting inside the National Cathedral were five presidents, the 42nd through the 46th, most of their wives, and most of their vice presidents.

VIEW: Photos of funeral services for former President Jimmy Carter | 1924-2024

Also inside was the spirit of a nation he helped define. 

"A nation where all are created equal in the image of God and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives," said President Biden. "We've never fully lived up to that idea of America. We've never walked away from it either because of Patriots like Jimmy Carter." 

Jimmy Carter's body at the National Cathedral during his funeral service.

Jimmy Carter's body at the National Cathedral during his funeral service.

Also at the funeral was the son of Carter's opponent in the 1976 election. 

Carter, a Democrat, agreed decades ago with Gerald Ford, a Republican, to give each other's eulogies. 

After presidents of very different political stripes chatted, Ford's son, Steven, stepped in for his dad, who died nearly twenty years ago, reading from a speech his father prepared before he died.

Steven Ford speaking at Jimmy Carter's funeral on behalf of his father.

Steven Ford speaking at Jimmy Carter's funeral on behalf of his father.

"It was because of our shared values that Jimmy and I respected each other as adversaries even before we cherished one another as dear friends," Ford read from his dad's speech.

READ: Remembering the life of former President Jimmy Carter and his impact on Tampa Bay 

Carter's grandson, Jason, spoke for the family, painting a picture of a man who never abandoned his hometown, never sought to get rich, and was willing to take political risks. 

"As governor of Georgia half a century ago, he preached an end to racial discrimination and an end to mass incarceration," Jason Carter said. "As president in the 1970s, as you've heard, he protected more land than any other president in history." 

After a nearly two-hour service, Carter was brought back to his final motorcade for a final ride to Andrews Air Force Base and then a final flight to the only place that ever truly felt like home: Plains, Georgia.

READ: View 3D models of Jimmy Carter's unique handmade furniture 

"In both public and private, my grandparents did fundamentally live their lives in an effort, as the Bible says, to do justice, love, mercy, and walk humbly with their God," said Jason Carter. 

Bill Clinton is now the only president still living who served in the 20th Century.

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