The former president’s body is in the United States Capitol Tuesday, but come Thursday, he will be coming home to Plains and his final resting place. And the people of the tiny Sumter County town are working to have everything ready for President’s Carter last trip home.

While his home was always in the small Georgia town, Atlanta gave him the opportunities to cement a political and humanitarian legacy.

McPherson recalled visiting Plains with his aunt and uncle during Carter’s presidential campaign and meeting Carter’s brother, Billy, at his service station. He also recalled meeting Carter at Mom’s Kitchen in Preston, about 10 miles west of Plains, and on a flight back to Atlanta from Billings, Montana.

Nearly 44 years after Jimmy Carter left the nation's capital in humbling defeat, the 39th president returned to Washington for three days of state funeral rites starting Tuesday.

Former President Jimmy Carter may have only served one term as governor, but he left his mark in many ways before leaving for Washington, even literally. With a pencil, Carter signed the desk in the governor’s ceremonial office,

Former President Jimmy Carter's casket was carried into the U.S. Capitol and into the Rotunda where he will lie in state until his funeral service on Thursday. Carter died at 100 and lived longer than any other U.