ATLANTA — A host of former presidents, first ladies and dignitaries honored the life of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter at a service at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church at Emory University on Tuesday.

Carter died on Nov. 19 at the age of 96 at the family’s home in Plains.

Guests included her husband of 77 years, former President Jimmy Carter, as well as President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former First Lady Michelle Obama, former first lady Laura Bush and former first lady Melania Trump. Multiple members of Congress and Georgia officials are also in attendance.

Former President Carter sat in the front row of the church between two of his children, Amy and Chip, who intermittently held his hands. He was tucked in snugly under a blanket featuring a drawing of his late wife. Carter, 99, has been in hospice care for 10 months.

The service featured several musical selections that were carefully selected by the former First Lady herself. Longtime friends of the Carters, Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood sand John Lennon’s “Imagine.”

Her children and grandchildren gave moving tributes, remembering their mother and grandmother as a “hero” and nurturer of her family who was equally adventurous and committed to a number of causes worldwide.

The couple’s son, James “Chip” Carter welcomed the crowd with sweet anecdotes about his parents’ 77-year marriage.

“When Dad asked her to marry him for the second time she said yes, but she expected him to provide her with a life of adventure,” he said.

Daughter Amy Carter tearfully read a letter her father wrote to her mother when he was in the service.

“But when I see you, I fall in love with you all over again,” Amy Carter read. “Does that seem strange to you? It doesn’t to me. Goodbye darling, until tomorrow, Jimmy.”

Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander said the tribute was a chance for people to say “thank you.”

“Mrs. Carter traveled with a lot of people, and left an impression on a lot of people, and that is who is here to celebrate with her,” Alexander said.

Emory University was important to Mrs. Carter. DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond was grateful she chose to make Glenn Memorial UMC one of her final stops.

“A wonderful, beautiful day to celebrate a beatuiful life,” Thurmond said.

Channel 2′s Richard Elliot was outside the church as a stream of notable people entered the church. Martin Luther King III was there as well as Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank.

The Carters’ grandson, former state senator Jason Carter delivered touching remarks at the funeral. He told the audience that his grandmother always moved forward, even when slowed by age or a cane she called her treking pole, and that is something everyone should remember.

“She was made for these long journeys,” Carter said. “I watched her walk down that hall with that treking police and I followed her and I just pray that we never lose sight of that path.”

From here, Carter was taken back to her hometown where there will be a private funeral Wednesday at Maranatha Baptist Church.

Channel 2′s George Estevez spoke to Kim Fuller, Rosalynn’s neice, about what is on tap for the private family funeral. Fuller usually does the Sunday service, but for this service, she will sing in the choir and then sit in the pews along with her family, including uncle Jimmy Carter.

“This is someone who has been one of his everythings for a long long time, over 77 years, and that’s just each other, so I can’t even imagine how he feels. I just can’t even imagine,” Fuller said.

Fuller said the family will play some of Mrs. Carter’s favorite music.

“Some of our favorite people will be there and I think it’ll start the healing process. I really do,” Fuller said. “It’s gonna be very different because in the back of my mind, I’m always gonna know that she’s not gonna be able to (come). They were able to come, she won’t be coming. I’m praying a lot and trying to get myself situated.

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