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Commemorating a Legacy: Rosalynn Carter’s Funeral to be Supported by Georgia State Defense Force

The Georgia State Defense Force has activated to support the commemorative events for the late First Lady Rosalynn Carter, which begin today, with the funeral scheduled for this Wednesday. This deployment marks a significant effort in honoring a revered public figure. The Georgia State Defense Force, known for its dedication and professionalism, is collaborating closely with The Georgia Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security to ensure that the ceremonies are conducted smoothly and respectfully. Their involvement underscores the importance of the event and the high regard in which the late First Lady is held. This coordination reflects The Georgia State Defense Force’s commitment to public service and their role in supporting state and national events of significance.

First Lady Rosalynn Carter, whose life and career will be celebrated in these events, was a distinguished public servant and a tireless advocate for mental health, elderly care, and human rights. Alongside her husband, the late President Jimmy Carter, she left a lasting impact on American society. The couple’s extraordinary contributions were recognized with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, signifying their profound influence on the country. Rosalynn Carter’s legacy, marked by compassion, advocacy, and unwavering dedication, continues to inspire many. Her passing has not only left a void in the hearts of those who admired her but also serves as a reminder of the significant role she played in shaping national policies and public consciousness.

: To serve the state in honor of Former First Lady and Georgia’s own Rosalynn Carter, see your chain of command. Multiple opportunities are available.
Mrs. Carter died Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, at the age of 96. Both former President Jimmy Carter and Mrs. Carter earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor.
(Photo courtesy of the Associated Press)

 

 

 

 


Georgia State Defense Force (GSDF) Soldiers arrive READY TO SERVE for upcoming commemorations honoring Former First Lady and Georgia’s own Rosalynn Carter, Plains, Ga., Nov. 25, 2023.
For more, GSDF Soldiers should contact their chain of command. Opportunities to serve are available through this Wednesday, when Mrs. Carter will be buried.
Mrs. Carter died Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, at the age of 96. Both Former President Jimmy Carter and Mrs. Carter earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor.
(Georgia State Defense Force photo by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Howard Seay)

 


Georgia State Defense Force (GSDF) Soldiers review plans with representatives from the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency in preparing for commemorations honoring Former First Lady and Georgia’s own Rosalynn Carter, Plains, Ga., Nov. 26, 2023.
Mrs. Carter died Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, at the age of 96. Commemorations are planned Monday through Wednesday.
Both Former President Jimmy Carter and Mrs. Carter earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor.

 


Here is an article covering the life of First Lady Rosalynn Carter:

Rosalynn Carter to lie in repose in Atlanta today as the world prepares for final farewell

Story by By Christina Maxouris, CNN  • 1h

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter’s motorcade began one of its final journeys Monday, traveling from her small hometown of Plains, Georgia, to Atlanta, where she is set to lie in repose for members of the public to pay their respects and share their final goodbyes.

She died peacefully in her Plains home on November 19, at the age of 96, two days after the Carter Center announced she was entering hospice care at home. A tireless advocate of mental health reform and the destigmatization of mental illness, Rosalynn Carter spent most of her life dedicated to humanitarian efforts, always at the side of her husband of more than 77 years, former US President Jimmy Carter. In May, the Carter Center said Rosalynn Carter had dementia.

The couple had returned home to Plains, about 120 miles south of Atlanta, after leaving the White House in 1981 and had lived there since. Jimmy Carter, who is 99, began receiving home hospice care in February, after a series of hospital stays.

The Carters’ last public appearance was September 23, when they took part in the annual peanut festival in Plains, Georgia. Jimmy Carter is expected to attend his wife’s memorial service Tuesday, according to his grandson Jason Carter.

People from across the state – and across the country – have made their way to Plains in the past week to celebrate Rosalynn Carter’s life and legacy as the town of several hundred prepared to say goodbye.

“She gave so much back to the community, to our world,” Georgia resident Andy Huggins told CNN last week. “I just felt the need to come through here one more time, just being in the presence here of her spirit. She was a beautiful person.”

In this February 8, 2017, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter, right, and his wife Rosalynn arrive for a ribbon cutting ceremony for a solar panel project on farmland he owns in their hometown of Plains. - David Goldman/AP

In this February 8, 2017, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter, right, and his wife Rosalynn arrive for a ribbon cutting ceremony for a solar panel project on farmland he owns in their hometown of Plains. – David Goldman/AP

Ceremonies began Monday

Rosalynn Carter’s motorcade left downtown Plains at 10 a.m. on Monday and traveled through the nearby city of Americus. The motorcade was also scheduled to make a short stop at a medical center, where “former members of her U.S. Secret Service Protection detail will serve as honorary pallbearers during a brief departure ceremony,” the Carter Center, the nonprofit the Carters founded, said.

In one of the first official observances of the former first lady’s death, two wreaths were laid near a bronze statue of Carter outside the Rosalynn Carter Health and Human Sciences Building 1 at Georgia Southwestern State University Monday morning.

University President Neal Weaver and CEO of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, Jennifer Olsen, placed the wreaths on opposite sides of the statue. The former first lady founded the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers on the school’s campus in 1987 and the organization has since supported and advocated for “tens of millions of Americans providing unpaid care for their loved ones,” the school said.

“She leaves a legacy for us to strive to meet,” said Weaver. He lauded “the way that she engaged with people, saw humanity as a real positive and wanted people to be successful and wanted to invest in their lives.”

He described the former first lady as a “regular” at Georgia Southwestern State University. Students had the chance to be “right next to her working with her and getting to know her and understanding what her commitment was to doing those activities.”

Members of the Carter family traveling with the motorcade stepped off the bus briefly to shake hands with participants.

A statue of Rosalynn Carter sits in front of the Health and Human Sciences Complex on the campus of Georgia Southwestern State University, on Monday, November 20, 2023, in Americus. - Mike Stewart/AP

A statue of Rosalynn Carter sits in front of the Health and Human Sciences Complex on the campus of Georgia Southwestern State University, on Monday, November 20, 2023, in Americus. – Mike Stewart/AP

The statue depicts the former first lady sitting on a bench, holding her book, “First Lady from Plains.”

“We will always remember her incredible accomplishments and dedication to service, and will continue to build on her legacy of advocacy,” the school said in a statement last week. “We will never forget what she means to this university.”

The public will be able to watch the brief ceremony, as well as view the motorcade throughout its route, the Carter Center said.

A repose service will then be held Monday afternoon at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library in Atlanta, and members of the public are invited to pay their respects from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., the Carter Center said.

Flowers are laid at the base of a sign at the entrance of the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta on November 27. - Will Lanzoni/CNN

Flowers are laid at the base of a sign at the entrance of the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta on November 27. – Will Lanzoni/CNN

Tribute service to be held Tuesday

A private tribute service is scheduled to take place Tuesday at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church at the Emory University campus, with invited guests that include President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden. Vice President Kamala Harris and the second gentleman are also expected to attend.

A private funeral service for family and invited friends is set to take place Wednesday morning at the couple’s beloved Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains.

“Rosalynn Carter’s deep compassion for people everywhere and her untiring strength on their behalf touched lives around the world. We have heard from thousands of you since her passing,” her family said in a statement last week. “Thank you all for joining us in celebrating what a treasure she was, not only to us, but to all humanity.”

The Carter Center said in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Carter Center Mental Health Program or the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers. Additionally, people can share their memories of the former first lady on a website that was created to honor her.

CNN’s Jaide Timm-Garcia and Eva McKend contributed to this report. 

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Source: Georgia State Defense ForceCNN

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