Remembering Rosalynn Carter: A loss felt across Plains

PLAINS, Ga. - When it comes to former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, former first lady Rosalynn, Jill Stuckey knows her stuff.  

"They loved each other dearly, but they were very, very competitive," she said.

Stuckey’s official title is Superintendent of the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park, but "friend of Rosalynn and Jimmy" feels more fitting.

"They walk into my house to have dinner with us, and I was always excited," Stuckey said. "The ‘aww’ never wore off."

On Sunday, that joy turned to sadness when Stuckey heard she lost one of her good friends of nearly three decades.  

"No more going over and watching church on TV with them, no more seeing her smile when we take her favorite meal, which is calf liver," Stuckey said.

Carter spent four years in the White House as first lady and made her mark quickly when she proved to be a champion mental healthcare.

Related: Rosalynn Carter remembered as champion for mental health advocacy

Even after returning to Georgia, she did not slow down. Stuckey says she wanted to live a long life so she could help as many people as possible.

For many, her friendship may have been her best attribute.

"She was my friend, so I am going to miss being able to pick up the phone or going down to the house and talking with a good friend," Stuckey said.

In Plains, with a population of about 550, it is hard to find someone not touched by Rosalynn.

Related: Rosalynn Carter: Georgia hometown roots shaped her life and values

"She was just like a regular person, and that's the way she came across: ‘Hey, I'm no different than you are, we're all in this together,’" said neighbor Edgar Yohe.

For people who knew her, the world is now a little less bright.  

"It's tough to think about a world without Rosalynn Carter, because that's the only world I've ever known," Stuckey said.