Eulogy to Jimmy Carter

Story and photos
by Kathleen Walls

Yesterday the world lost a hero. Jimmy Carter was born in Plains on October 1, 1924 at Wise Sanitarium, now called the Lillian G. Carter Nursing Center for his mother, who worked there as a registered nurse. Unlike many presidents, his family wasn't rich. Both parents worked.

I'm happy that my last trip of 2024 was to his hometown of Plains, Georgia, where everybody in town is related to or knew him personally.

Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum

Earlier, I visited the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta. Both places tell the story of a great man differently. The Presidential Library has a copy of his Oval Office and many other achivements as president.

It not only showcases Carter's achievements as president but those after leaving office. Among the most notable were his project of volunteering to build housing for the poor with Habitat for Humanity. He and Rosalyn established The Carter Center to promote human rights in third-world countries by monitoring elections in newly democratic nations. One of his greatest achievements since leaving office is that his center has almost eradicated the guinea worm disease in the world. He was rightly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In Plains, he's "Mr. Jimmy." In Atlanta, he's President Carter, the 39^th President of the United States and a humanitarian who did much of his great work after his presidency. I urge everyone to visit both places and remember a truly great man.

Carter Family Farm

In Plains, you see the places that shaped the strong moral character he displayed. He grew up in a modest frame farmhouse where his father raised many crops, including peanuts. The home, including his bedroom, is furnished simply, much as it would have been when he lived there. He had no running water until he was about ten years old when his father bought a windmill that was used to pump the well water to a tank high over the home and supply running water. Here he developed an understanding of the need to protect the environment rather than exploit it for the biggest money gain.

On the family farm, you can also visit the home of the African American tenant farmers who were his caretakers when both his parent were at work. Jack and Rachel Clark's cabin is even simpler than the Carter family farmhouse. In later years, Carter credits Rachel Clark as teaching him many things as a child. Perhaps the most important takeaway he got from her and Jack was that all people deserve to be treated with respect.

Museum and Education Center of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site

Another place young Jimmy Carter learned to respect learning and where he met his future wife, Roselyn Smith, was the local high school. It was where Julia Coleman, his teacher and principal, told her student one day one of them could be president of the United States. I wonder if she realized then how prophetic her words were. The school is now the Museum and Education Center of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site. You'll see many artifacts, including his presidential desk, The Resolute Desk, examples of his early classrooms, and much more.

Church

Church has always been a mainstay in Carter's life. In Plains you can see the Maranatha Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday school until recently and the Plains United Methodist Church where he and Rosalynn got married.

Downtown Plains

Downtown Plains looks today much like it looked when Carter was a boy. Most of the buildings date to the turn of the 19th century. You can visit the Historic Inn & Antiques Mall that houses a bed-and-breakfast upstairs. There are seven suites, each decorated partially by Roslynn Carter to represent a period from the 1920s to 1980s. There are shops and a restaurant frequented by the Carters, The Buffalo Café, that was an old bank building. It still has the old vault.

The main feature downtown is the old railroad depot that became the Carter Campaign Headquarters, since it was the only building in town that had public restrooms.

Carter Homes

When Carter's father, Earl Carter, died in 1953, he resigned from the navy and returned to Plains. Their first home was in Dura, a Federally subsided housing project where they lived for several years in Apartment 9A.

When their finances improved, they rented a mid-1800s Federal -Style home, the Rylander House also known locally as "the Haunted House." The house was believed haunted by the spirit of a woman who guided Confederate soldiers to a safe haven. It is believed to be the oldest house in Sumter County. The Carters wanted to buy the home, but the owner wouldn't sell. It's a stop on the Plains Tour that you can see from the road.

In 1960, the Carters built a ranch-style home that is the only home they ever owned. Rosalynn Carter is buried on the grounds next to a willow tree. Jimmy Carter will join her there in a few days. He has arranged that upon his death the home will become a museum and part of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site. I hope to visit it soon and pay my respects.

Personal

I campaigned for Jimmy Carter both times, and one of my most prized possessions is a Christmas card signed by him and Rosalyn.

In Plains and neighboring Americus, I met many people who were friends or relatives of President Carter. My condolences to all of them, in particular the staff at Americus Welcome Center; Jill Stuckey, site superintendent of the high school turned museum and one of Jimmy's best friends; and Kim Fuller, Billy Carter's eldest daughter and Executive Director/CEO of Friends of Jimmy Carter. You, and the entire world, have lost a hero. The flag will fly at half-mast for the next 30 days in mourning for our country's loss.

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