PLAINS, Ga. — This year will be the first Christmas since former First Lady Rosalynn Carter died. In her hometown of Plains, they celebrated the holidays and her legacy at their annual Christmas tree lighting and parade.
People came from near and far, like Michael Smith, who loves the history of Plains.
"Plains, Georgia, to me, as well as my family, means a lot of, a lot of recent history. When I say recent, I mean in the last 50 years of a president coming out of here, of a town that survives based on that history," Smith said.
He calls Plains his second home. He's from Cedar Key, Florida but loves Plains. It's where he married his wife, and he has many memories of the town- and the Carters, whom he's seen at the town's Christmas parade in the past.
"The Carters would always come out on the balcony, right across the street from us, for the lighting after the Christmas parade. And my granddaughters would shout up to them, Merry Christmas, President Carter and Mrs. Rosalynn Carter. And they would look down at my granddaughters and say, Merry Christmas girls," Smith said.
He also remembers running into the Carters at the trunk-or-treat years ago.
"I don't know that we gave them any candy, but anyway, it was special," Smith said.
He thinks the impact she's had on Plains is massive, but said she also impacted people worldwide.
Lee Gibson participated in the parade with his family, and he agreed.
"She's very into mental help when she was in the White House and before that, and after that. So she's really big into mental help, and that's one of our problems we have in the country," Gibson said.
Gibson moved to Plains after he met his wife, who grew up there. He said it was a sad day when she passed, but the town will keep honoring her and keeping her memory alive.
13 WMAZ will have extended coverage of Plains this week as they honor and remember Rosalynn Carter's life and legacy.
REMEMBER ROSALYNN