Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter passed away on November 19 at the age of 96. Her memorial service was held on Tuesday in Atlanta, roughly two hours from where she was born in Plains, Georgia in 1927. In attendance was her husband, Jimmy Carter, who wore a blanket featuring an image of Rosalynn over his lap.
Carter had entered hospice care in February of this year, rather than undergoing further medical treatment to “spend his remaining time at home with his family.” In mid-November, Rosalynn entered a hospice care home in Plains, Georgia. Carter’s blanket pays tribute to the long and treasured history the couple shared for over seven decades.
Jimmy Carter wore a blanket with an image of Rosalynn Carter to the former first lady’s memorial service
Carter’s blanket was abundant in symbolism celebrating Rosalynn and the marriage they had that spanned 77 years. Both his and Rosalynn’s faces were embroidered across the pale fabric in what appeared to be blue-black ink. The bottom featured the text “est. 1885,” which represents when Plains moved to its final location along a then-newly built railroad. Plains is where the executive couple would meet for the first time as children.
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The blanket also featured images of dogwood flowers, which are native to Georgia and hold some powerful symbolic meaning. It blooms in early spring and represents rebirth in a physical but also spiritual sense. When dogwood trees blossom, it means the start of a new cycle; here, it represents Rosalynn at peace.
Finally, the blanket surrounded Rosalynn and Carter with images of daily life in Georgia, which they called home for over 60 years.
Honoring Rosalynn Carter
Jimmy Carter Wears Blanket Featuring Image of Late Wife Rosalynn's Face to Her Memorial Service https://t.co/9mmXEK4qYA
— People (@people) November 28, 2023
Events honoring Rosalynn’s memory began with a wreath-laying ceremony at Georgia Southwestern State University’s Rosalynn Carter Health and Human Sciences Complex. She was escorted by a motorcade to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, where members of the public were welcome to pay their final respects. Current and former members of her Secret Service detail escorted the hearse.
Rosalynn is being laid to rest at her ranch house in Sumter County. It is described as a modest abode, estimated in 2018 at $167,000, with the Washington Post reporting that cost “less than the value of the armored Secret Service vehicles parked outside.” But the view is a peaceful one, complete with a tranquil pond and a majestic magnolia tree Carter himself helped dig, transplanted from one planted by Andrew Jackson almost 200 years ago.
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