Lillian Carter

Bessie Lillian Gordy Carter, better known as Lillian Carter, (August 15, 1898 in Richland, Georgia - October 30, 1983 in Americus, Georgia), was the mother of former President of the United States Jimmy Carter.

She was also a nurse and a social activist, working for desegregation and illicitly providing medical care to blacks in Plains, Georgia. In the 1960s, she joined the Peace Corps and worked in India.

Miss Lillian was a favorite of the press for her Southern charm and she was down-to-earth. For reporters and interrogators alike, she always had a warm country sass response for every question. Lillian Carter says her strongest influence on her liberal views was her father. James Jackson Gordy, "Jim Jack" operated a Post Office in Lillian's hometown of Richland, Georgia and was always cordial and often dined with the black workers. This was very unusual in the early 1900's and Lillian decided that she would follow her father's example.

Lillian's family initially disapproved of her choice of a career in Nursing, but she knew that this was what she wanted to do and continued with her plans and pursued her career with such tenacity that she earned the respect of both the black and white conmmunities.

Shortly after her eldest son left office in January, 1981, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Miss Lillian courageously battled her illness as the cancer spread to her bones and pancreas. After a period of remission, Lillian Carter's younger daughter, Ruth Carter Stapleton was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in April, 1983 and died on September 26, 1983 at 54. The grief was too much for Lillian to bear and she herself succumbed only six weeks later on October 30, 1983 at age 85. Miss Lillian was buried in a simple six-minute ceremony at Lebanon Cemetery on November 1, 1983

It should be noted that two more of Lillian's children, Billy Carter (1937-1988), and Gloria Spann (1926-1990) also succumbed to pancreatic cancer. [[Category:People from Georgia (U.S. State}|Carter, Lillian]]