The next time you’re marveling at the ruins at Sweetwater Creek State Park in Lithia Springs or standing in awe of the place known as “Georgia’s Little Grand Canyon," you might want to whisper a simple “thank you" to President Jimmy Carter.

Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. President, will be honored Thursday with the pageantry of a state funeral in the nation's capital, followed by a second service and burial in his tiny Georgia hometown that launched a Depression-era farm boy to the world stage.