Obama, who attended without his wife, Michelle, shared a second-row pew with former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, along with their spouses. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrived last and sat in the pew just in front of them.

Jimmy Carter redefined his legacy after his presidency. Other presidents, especially Hoover and Nixon, tried but failed to outrun or outwork their unhappy presidential legacies. Like John Quincy Adams before him, Carter will mostly be remembered for what came after his time in the White House rather than those four years in it—as he should be.

Jeni Stepanek’s son Mattie had forged a bond with Carter in 2001, days before he was supposed to die. Mattie had said one of his last wishes was to meet with the man he considered his hero.