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One last moment, till we meet again: How Jimmy Carter said goodbye to the love of his life Rosalynn after 77 years

Jimmy Carter is devastated following the death of his wife, the former US First Lady Rosalynn Carter on Sunday, November 19, 2023, at 96

PLAINS, GEORGIA: Jimmy Carter spent the final moments of his wife Rosalynn Carter's life together, as they had for the majority of their 77-year marriage.

The 39th US President Carter, 99, who is wheelchair-bound and in hospice care, asked his family to leave him alone with his beloved wife, who died Sunday, November 19, 2023, at their Georgia home.

According to their son James E Carter III, called 'Chip', the family was initially gathered as his father, who was also in hospice care, made a final wish.

“My Dad told her he loved her and thanked her for all the wonderful things she had done,” Carter told The Washington Post. “Then he asked us to leave so he could be alone with her.”

Chip estimated that the Carters sat alone together for at least half an hour, holding hands.

On Saturday night, the Carters were positioned feet-to-feet at each other's hospital beds so they could face each other and converse.

Unfortunately, when Rosalynn awoke Sunday morning, she could no longer talk and was pronounced dead at 2.10 pm. She was 96 years old.

What did James ‘Chip’ Carter say about his mother’s death?

“Tears were coming out of his eyes,” Chip revealed to the outlet.

“Dad told me several times over the last nine months that he had always thought he would outlive Mom and protect her until she passed, but that now he wasn't sure that was going to happen - and that upset him,” he shared. 

He added, “But he stayed alive. We all told him how proud we were of his relationship with her and of how he looked after her.” 

The 99-year-old former President has continued to eat but has remained quiet, finding it difficult to communicate since the death of his wife.

Chip added that his father hopes to attend his wife's funeral next Wednesday, depending on his health.

Since his body has changed while he has been in hospice care, a new suit is being fashioned for the former president specifically for the occasion.

Chip Carter went on to say that every surviving First Lady, including Melania Trump, is invited to the funeral.

“My mother was a gracious person and she would treat everybody with respect, including a former first lady,” he stated. 

President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff are also scheduled to attend Tuesday’s funeral for the former First Lady.

Jimmy and Rosalynn had the longest presidential marriage in the history of the United States.

They recently celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary on July 7, 2023.

Over the years, their love withstood the test of time and the challenges of Navy deployments, presidential campaigns, and Jimmy’s time in office.

After his presidency, Jimmy remained devoted to his wife, and they engaged in various humanitarian projects together.

They accomplished one of the greatest charitable achievements of any past president by constructing or renovating more than 4,300 affordable homes worldwide.

How did Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter meet?

Jimmy and Rosalynn grew up together in Plains, Georgia.

The couple first met each other when Jimmy was a mere three years old and Rosalynn was a newborn.

Rosalynn was friends with Jimmy's sister, Ruth, and was delivered by Jimmy's mother, Bessie Lillian Carter.

While home from college for the summer, Jimmy met 17-year-old Rosalynn after plans with another girl fell through.

They went to the movies and Jimmy stole a kiss on their first date.

Realizing that what he had with Rosalynn was special, Jimmy proposed, but she rejected him at first.

He won her heart the following February and they were married a year later when Rosalynn was 18.

In 2015, Jimmy Carter revealed to People magazine that marrying Rosalynn was the “best thing” he ever did and that their partnership was the “pinnacle” of his life.

Jimmy spoke to writers Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas for their book 'What Makes A Marriage Last' about his wife, saying, “I just felt compatible with her, she was beautiful and innocent, and there was a resonance,”

He added, “We rode in the rumble seat of a Ford pickup, Ruth (Jimmy's sister) and her boyfriend in the front, and I kissed her on that first date. I remember that vividly.”

In a poem from his 1995 book 'Always a Reckoning', Jimmy remembered their first date at the movie theatre, writing, “I'd pay to sit behind her, blind to what was on the screen, and watch the image flicker on her hair.”

Life changed for the Carters after their marriage

Jimmy and Rosalynn got married on July 7, 1946, at Plains Methodist Church in their hometown, just a few weeks before Jimmy's graduation from the Naval Academy.

After their wedding, they moved to Norfolk, Virginia, for their first of many Naval assignments.

The couple was posted in different states such as California, Hawaii, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.

They had four children, 25 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Sadly, in 2018, their grandson Jeremy passed away at the age of 28 due to a suspected heart attack.

Jimmy and Rosalynn welcomed their first child, John 'Jack' William Carter, on July 3, 1947, in Portsmouth, Virginia.

Jack served in the Vietnam War and participated in the 2006 Senate election.

Their second son, James 'Chip' Earl Carter, was born on April 12, 1950, in Honolulu, and their third son, Donnel 'Jeff' Jeffrey Carter, was born in New London, Connecticut, in August two years later.

Their fourth child and only daughter, Amy Lynn, was born in October 1967 in their hometown of Plains, Georgia, as Jimmy ventured into politics.

Jimmy's father, James Earl Carter Sr, died at the age of 58 from pancreatic cancer in 1953. Upon his death, Jimmy, then 33 years old, left the Navy and took control of the family's peanut farm.

Jimmy and Rosalynn faced a challenge when they decided to move their family from Schenectady, New York, to Plains, Georgia, but the move solidified their relationship and the eventual political career that followed.

“We developed a partnership when we were working in the farm supply business, and it continued when Jimmy got involved in politics,” Rosalynn told the Associated Press.

She said, “I knew more on paper about the business than he did. He would take my advice about things.”

Jimmy was elected to the Georgia State Senate on November 5, 1962, after a failed attempt for the US Senate.

He credited Rosalynn, who campaigned tirelessly for him, for his political successes and confessed to the Associated Press: “My wife is much more political.”

Rosalynn campaigned tirelessly for Jimmy and upon his inauguration as the Governor of Georgia on November 3, 1970, she proceeded to work on destigmatizing mental illness as the state’s First Lady.

“Jimmy gave me the confidence to do things I was afraid of,” Rosalynn said.

Jimmy won the US presidential election on November 2, 1976. The win was accredited to Rosalynn's resolute campaign strategy of visiting 40 states, which earned her the moniker “Jimmy’s secret weapon.”

The Carters were stronger after Jimmy’s presidency

Rosalynn was initially heartbroken when Jimmy lost his re-election bid to Ronald Reagan on November 4, 1980.

In fact, Jimmy recalled that she took the defeat even harder than he did. To ease her pain, he searched for the positives of not being re-elected.

He reminded her that they still had at least 25 years of life ahead of them since he was only 56 and she was only 53 at the time.

This is when they decided to establish The Carter Center, which has been an incredible challenge and achievement for them.

In 1984, Jimmy and Rosalynn, who had previously worked with Habitat for Humanity in Georgia, gathered volunteers for the New York chapter and proceeded to construct houses across the US.

Their different passions ensured their love lasted decades. Rosalynn had shared her insight on her marriage with Jimmy to People magazine.

The couple also survived multiple health scares, inclding when Jimmy was diagnosed with liver cancer on August 12, 2015.

He underwent surgery to remove a minor lump in his liver and survived, with family and friends expressing confidence that the couple would "get through this."

Carter revealed that his liver cancer had been eradicated on December 6, the same year.

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter shared a glimpse of their daily routine in 2018. Despite being a former US President and First Lady, they continued living in the same two-bedroom house in Georgia that they occupied before Jimmy's presidency.

Although they spent their mornings doing separate activities, they made sure to spend their evenings together.

According to a spokesperson from the Carter Center, the couple took walks and followed a healthy diet.

The spokesperson added, “Both President and Mrs Carter are determined to use their influence for as long as they can to make the world a better place, and millions of the world's poorest people are grateful for their resolve and heart.”

Jimmy had overcome several health setbacks, including cancer, a fall that required stitches, and a broken hip during a turkey hunt. He attributed his good health to his marriage.

Jimmy said that marrying the right person could make all the difference and that having a spouse who takes care of you and challenges you to stay active and engaged is essential.

Even at 95 years old, Jimmy and Rosalynn tried to stay busy and do their best.

Their minds might not have been as sharp as they used to be, but they still had limited stamina and strength.

Rosalynn shared in her book ‘What Makes a Marriage Last’ that Jimmy always believed in her and thought that she could do anything.

“Jimmy has always thought I could do anything, always - and so I've done everything. I campaigned all over the country. I've done things I never dreamed I could do.”

The Carters celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary by tweeting a photo of themselves from their wedding and thanking everyone for their support from The Carter Center.

“#75YearsAgo today these two kids tied the knot and forged a bond that cannot be broken,” the tweet said, alongside a wedding photo of the couple. “They are now also the longest married presidential couple!”

The anniversary was marked by a party attended by over 300 guests, including former President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, and Ted Turner.

Jimmy Carter quietly celebrated his 97th and 98th birthdays at home with Rosalynn in Plains, Georgia, making him the oldest former US president ever.

The couple celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary this year. Rosalynn, 96, died peacefully with her family by her side on November 19, 2023.