It felt like the end of an era because, honestly, it was. When the news finally broke that Jimmy Carter had passed away at 100, nobody was exactly "surprised"—he’d been in hospice for nearly two years—but the weight of it still hit like a ton of bricks. Watching the jimmy carter funeral live broadcasts felt less like a stiff political event and more like a long, quiet exhale from a nation that had known "Mr. Jimmy" for a century.
He didn't want the typical Washington fanfare. We all knew that. Yet, there he was, lying in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda while thousands of regular people shuffled past his casket in the dead of winter. It was a weird, beautiful contrast. You had the high-octane power of D.C. meeting the simple, peanut-farming humility of Plains, Georgia.
The Washington Service: A Rare Moment of Unity
If you tuned into the jimmy carter funeral live stream on January 9, 2025, you saw something that almost never happens anymore. All five living presidents were in the same room. Biden, Trump, Obama, Bush, and Clinton. They weren't bickering or campaigning. They were just sitting there, shoulder to shoulder, in the Washington National Cathedral.
The atmosphere was heavy but not necessarily dark. It was reflective. President Biden gave a eulogy that focused on Carter's "simple decency." He talked about how Carter grew up in a house without running water or electricity and ended up at the pinnacle of global power without losing himself.
Who Spoke and What Was Said?
It wasn't just politicians at the podium. That would’ve been too corporate for a guy like Jimmy.
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- Jason Carter, his grandson, gave a speech that actually made people laugh. He told stories about his grandfather calling him from a cell phone just to check in, reminding everyone that behind the "statesman" was just a guy who loved his grandkids.
- Andrew Young, the former UN Ambassador, brought the house down with a homily that connected Carter's faith to his fight for human rights.
- Steve Ford did something incredibly touching. He read a eulogy his father, Gerald Ford, had written for Jimmy back in 2006. The two former rivals had a pact to eulogize whoever died first. Even though Gerald died nearly 20 years ago, his words finally found their home.
The music was pure Carter. Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood performed a duet of "Imagine." It was raw and a little bit shaky, which made it feel way more human than a polished studio recording.
The Journey Back to Plains
The most moving part of the jimmy carter funeral live coverage wasn't in D.C., though. It was when "Special Air Mission 39"—the Boeing 747 acting as Air Force One—landed back in Georgia.
Carter's remains were taken to his tiny hometown of Plains. If you’ve never seen Plains, it’s basically one main street and a whole lot of history. The motorcade slowed down as it passed his boyhood farm in Archery. The National Park Service rang the farm bell 39 times. One for every bit of his presidency.
People lined the dusty roads. They weren't wearing suits; they were in denim jackets and camouflage hats. They were his neighbors. They called him "Mr. Jimmy." They remembered him not as the guy who signed the Camp David Accords, but as the guy who taught Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church for forty years.
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The Private Burial at the Family Farm
The cameras had to stop eventually. The final interment was private, held on the grounds of the Carters' home. He was buried under a willow tree next to his wife, Rosalynn, who had passed away in late 2023.
It’s kind of wild to think about. After all the world travels, the Nobel Peace Prize, and the global health initiatives, he just wanted to be back in the Georgia dirt he started in. The Navy did a missing man formation flyover, a nod to his time as a submariner, and then it was over.
Why This Funeral Still Matters in 2026
Even now, a year after the world watched the jimmy carter funeral live, the ripples are still there. We’re seeing a renewed interest in his "post-presidency" model. He basically proved that the most important work of your life can happen after you lose your job.
Currently, the Carter Center is still pushing forward with his mission to eradicate Guinea worm disease. They just held the 2026 Jimmy Carter Forum on U.S.-China Relations in Atlanta. It’s clear the man is gone, but the machinery of his kindness is still running.
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Actionable Takeaways for History Buffs
If you missed the live events or want to pay your respects now, here is what you can actually do:
- Visit the Gravesite: The grounds of the Carter home in Plains are now partially open to the public as part of the National Historical Park. You can walk the "Butterfly Trail" that Rosalynn loved and see the final resting place of the couple.
- Watch the Archive: Most major news networks, including PBS and 11Alive, have kept the full jimmy carter funeral live broadcasts in their archives. It's worth a watch just to see the 21-gun salutes and the Morehouse College Glee Club's performance.
- Support the Mission: The Carter Center still takes donations for their peace and health programs. If you want to honor him, that’s where the real impact is.
He lived to be 100. He saw the world change ten times over. But at the end of the day, his funeral reminded us that being a "good man" is a lot more complicated—and a lot more important—than just being a "powerful leader."
If you are planning a trip to Georgia to visit the site, be sure to check the National Park Service website for seasonal hours, as Plains is a small town with limited infrastructure for large crowds. Be respectful of the fact that many of the residents there were his personal friends for decades.
The Christie’s auction of his personal items, including his hand-painted artwork and letters to Rosalynn, is also running through the end of January 2026 for those looking to own a literal piece of his history.