PLAINS – Rosalynn Carter was eulogized as a “virtuous woman,” good to all around her, in a private funeral service Wednesday.
Family and secret service members stayed close to President Jimmy Carter as he attended the service at age 99, surviving his wife of 77 years. The former first lady died Nov. 19 at age 96, following a brief period in hospice care.
Approximately 100 family members and close friends filled the small sanctuary Wednesday at the Carters’ church for most of their lives, Maranatha Baptist. The service was lived-streamed for the public.
The Carters’ personal pastor, Tony Lowden, said the title of his eulogy was “First Lady” because that’s who Rosalynn Carter was to everyone around her.
“To the caregiver, you pull them to the side and ask them to talk about Mrs. Carter, they’ll tell you she’s an angel,” he said. “Her family, her neighbors, her friends – all knew her to be someone who did not think of herself, but rather others and others’ needs.”
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“Her care and concern for those around her left the most remarkable impression on those around her,” he said.
She remained active and competitive in recent years, racing on her walker to beat her husband, as he was pushed in a speed chair “at a nice little pace” by a secret service member, Lowden said.
She would tell her husband, “Don’t grieve for me today, because now I’m free,” Lowden said. “I’ve won the prize, Jimmy. I got here first. Tell him I beat him.”
Josh Carter, son of the Carters’ third son Jeff Carter, said their first grandchild, Jason Carter, began calling his grandmother “Mom” after she felt 47 was too young to have her first grandchild.
“Mom is a perfect name for her and who she represented in our family. She was kind, loving and caring,” he said.
She loved to “play” – on the ground, with great-grandchildren – into her 90s, he said.
Carter said he grew up with the Carter Center, which opened in 1982 after his grandfather left office, and watched his grandmother find her own.
“She spent the rest of her life improving the lives of people around the globe,” he said. “To free them from oppression, to eliminate crippling diseases, to help people with mental illness live fulfilling lives. She knew that was the best time of her life.”
Rosalynn Carter was buried Wednesday at the Carter family residence in Plains, which the family already deeded to the National Park Service.
A handful of the public who appeared at the Wednesday service, held a day after Rosalynn Carter’s memorial at the Carter Center drew three presidents and six first ladies.
Among those in Plains was Jorish Woodard, an officer with the Dooly County High School Future Farmers of America.
Woodard said her few years in the area led her to appreciate the impact Rosalynn Carter’s passing will have.
“It’s a great experience to know people here actually care about the community and the citizens. I understand how this will deeply affect some of the community and some of the students,” she said.
