How did Rosalynn Carter die? Former First Lady, 96, joined husband Jimmy Carter in hospice care days before death
PLAINS, GEORGIA: Former first lady Rosalynn Carter who entered hospice care with husband Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 96. She had been diagnosed with dementia.
According to a report by TMZ, the Carter family's foundation announced that Rosalynn, the wife of Jimmy Carter who served as the 39th president of the United States died peacefully at her home in Plains, Georgia on Sunday, November 19, 2023.
The Carter Center recently issued an official statement that read, "Our co-founder, former US First Lady Rosalynn Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia."
In the lengthy statement, the foundation mentioned that Rosalynn's loved ones were by her side during her last moments.
Her husband Jimmy said, "Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished. She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me."
Our co-founder, former U.S. First Lady Rosalynn Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia.
— The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) November 19, 2023
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Rosalynn Carter worked behind the scenes during husband Jimmy’s early campaigns
Rosalynn worked hard behind the scenes for her husband Jimmy's early political campaigns.
For those unaware, Jimmy was elected as the governor in the year 1970, and soon after, she found confidence as the state’s official hostess and in her public-speaking obligations.
Throughout the course of her life, the 96-year-old championed for mental health.
Back in the day, she served as a member of the Governor’s Commission to improve service for the Mentally and Emotionally Handicapped.
In addition to this, she also lent a helping hand in establishing a total of 134 daycare centers for the mentally disabled residents of the state.
Rosalynn also worked as a volunteer at the Georgia Regional Hospital in Atlanta to learn closely about the problems of the mentally ill.
She stood by her husband Jimmy through the good and bad times.
When did Rosalynn Carter and Jimmy Carter get married?
As per a report by The Washington Post, Jimmy and Rosalynn crossed paths for the first time when one day Carter was just driving around the city with his sister and her boyfriend and they spotted her while coming out of church.
Soon after, she went on a movie date with him. The very next morning, his mother asked him what he thought of Rosalynn and he replied, "She’s the one I’m going to marry."
The couple dated over the Christmas break. He proposed to her around the same time, but she said no as she had promised her father on his deathbed that she wouldn't marry until she completed college.
Rosalynn completed her Junior college by the summer of 1946, meanwhile, by then, he had graduated from the Naval Academy.
The two lovebirds tied the knot in the year 1946. The pair exchanged their vows on July 7 of the same year. They were married for 77 years before Rosalynn died.
How many children did Rosalynn Carter have?
Rosalynn and Jimmy welcomed four kids together: sons John William 'Jack', James Earl 'Chip', Donnel Jeffrey 'Jeff', and daughter Amy Carter.