Following the D.C. service and flight to Georgia, Carter’s body will be driven to his hometown of Plains for a private funeral and a procession through downtown Plains, according to organizers. Carter, who served as president from 1977 to 1981, will then be buried next to his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter, who died in November 2023.

Rosalynn Carter died in 2023, at the age of 96, with Michelle and the country's living First Ladies attending her funeral. Following her death, Michelle shared some of her favorite memories with Rosalynn, revealing that the two developed a strong bond based on their experiences as First Ladies.

Carter, who has rarely used his full name — James Earl Carter Jr, was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia. Gerald Ford, the Michigan native who was the 38th president after succeeding Richard Nixon, who had resigned the post, died Dec. 26, 2006. At the time of his death he was the longest-living president at age 93.