PLAINS — Two seasons collided on the streets of Plains on Monday: one of celebration with Christmas around the corner, and another of mourning as the town says farewell to Rosalynn Carter, who was born here.
In Logan Park, a small piece of land sandwiched between Main Street and U.S. 280, the town’s faux Christmas tree stands tall. But in front of the tree is a poster collage of pictures of Mrs. Carter with the words “First Lady of Plains” bold across the bottom. Flowers have been laid there as a makeshift memorial, ahead of Rosalynn Carter’s funeral and private burial in Plains on Wednesday.
Along Main Street, wreaths and garlands adorn storefronts as well as remembrances to the former first lady. Two chalkboards sit outside of Southwest Trophy & Gifts, one advertising coffee, tea and hot cocoa, the other quoting the Bible and honoring Rosalynn: “Well done good and faithful servant,” it said. “You will be missed!”
Rosalynn Carter and her husband of 77 years, former President Jimmy Carter, spent most of their lives in Plains, living together in the same modest ranch house they built in 1961. Rosalynn died on Nov. 19. Jimmy has been in home hospice care since February.
The town is continuing with the Christmas celebrations because Rosalynn Carter wouldn’t have wanted it stopped just on her behalf, said Tim Buchanan, manager of the Buffalo Cafe, just a few doors down from Southwest Trophy.
Buchanan manages the café on behalf of the Friends of Jimmy Carter National Historical Park Foundation and says he is related to the former first lady — his great-grandparents were her aunt and uncle.
On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, less than week after Rosalynn died, Plains held its annual Christmas parade after getting permission from her children.
”They said ‘Mother would not want us to cancel,’” according to Buchanan.
Over the decades, many residents crossed paths with the former first couple in this rural South Georgia town of barely more than 500 residents.
About 30 years ago, George McAfee and his wife’s dream came true: A house that they had admired for awhile was finally for sale, so they moved from another part of Sumter County to the Carters’ small hometown.
Their new neighbors? Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter.
“When we first moved over here, they used to come by,” McAfee said. “If you seen one, you seen both of them. They were both together.”
McAfee, 80, said he used to see the former first couple from his porch. Rosalynn Carter’s death caught him by surprise.
On Monday morning, after the Carter family motorcade left Plains, McAfee was cleaning trash from Main Street and some of the smaller roads that branch off it.
McAfee said he understands a bit of the grief that former President Carter might be feeling. He lost his wife in 2006 and it is still hard for him to put his grief into words.
As for Rosalynn Carter, McAfee added, “She’s gonna be missed.”
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