DALLAS TWP. — Presidential historian Larry Cook on Monday said when he hear that former President Jimmy Carter had passed, he and his wife, Diane, lost a true friend.
“We will always remember President Carter and Rosalynn as wonderful friends,” Cook said. “They were friends like no other.”
”Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old,” the Associated Press wrote Monday.
“The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, roughly 22 months after entering hospice care, at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023, spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said.”
Larry and Diane Cook are waiting to see which service they will be attending for President Carter.
“We would like him — and Mrs. Carter — to be remembered as the great humanitarians that they were, ” Cook said. “They both will go down in history as two of the greatest humanitarians the world has ever seen and they will be remembered forever around the world for all their work.”
On a personal note, the Cooks said they will always remember the genuine friendship they shared with the Carters.
“They were just great people,” Cook said. “When President Carter learned that I was a Presidential history buff, he was pleased and urged me to do even more research and collecting.”
Cook said as soon as the news came out that the former president had passed, his phone started ringing.
“We knew the phone call was coming,” Diane Cook said. “You always think you’re prepared, but you never are. Our relationship with the Carters was so special — we will cherish our times with them forever.”
The Cooks said that former President Carter will be welcomed to heaven by his wife “into eternal peace.”
“They are together again,” the Cooks said.
Larry Cook said in 2015 that former President Carter stayed at their house. He said it was after Carter was diagnosed with cancer.
“I remember him telling us that he thought he had about one month to live,” Cook said. “He said he looked at that prospect as a new adventure. He said he was not afraid to die because of his strong faith. He was never afraid of death — he was such a man of faith.”
The Cooks said they will travel to wherever Carter’s service will be held to pay their final respects. They said they plan to visit Plains, GA, to visit with Carter family members there at some point ad also to visit with the many friends they have there as well.
The Cooks attended Mrs. Carter’s state funeral service in Atlanta and then went to Plains, GA, for another service.
“We’ve been texting Carter family members and friends in Georgia and across the country since we received the news on Sunday,” Cook said. “President Carter always told us we were his favorite people from Pennsylvania and that meant a lot to us.”
Cook said he and his wife first met the Carters in 2004. He said he had never met a U.S. President before and Diane surprised him with a trip to Plains, GA.
“Somebody told us that if you want to meet a President, go to Plains and you will meet Jimmy Carter,” Cook said. “So we went there and we attended church and President Carter was teaching Sunday school. He welcomed us and we became instant friends. That trip changed our lives forever.”
Frequent visits to NEPA
When President Carter celebrated his 100th birthday on Oct. 1, the Cooks offered heartfelt comments about the former President and the bond between them.
“He is literally a man of 100 years of history,” Cook said of Carter. “He made history on the day he was born at the small hospital in Plains, Georgia. He was the first president born in a hospital, and exactly 100 years later, he’s made history again. In those 100 years, he has made history and achievements his entire life as the only president to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Gov. of Georgia, President of the U.S., co- founder of The Carter Center, as well as their involvement with Habitat for Humanity, just to name a few.”
Over the 20-plus years of friendship, Cook said he and Diane have been with the Carters dozens of times.
“Most years we would see them three to four times a year,” Cook said. “Diane and I were very excited about President Carter reaching the milestone birthday of 100 years. He has been the longest living president for a few years and is the only president to reach 100.”
On a personal note, Cook said President Carter and Rosalynn have been great friends to the Cooks over many years, and the memories they have are priceless.
“Among some of our favorite memories are the times that they came here to Plains and Dallas to visit us,” Cook said. “The influences that they have had on our lives are tremendous. For example, their encouragement led me to become a full time Presidential Historian. The examples that they have demonstrated in their lives encouraged those around them to live a better and more charitable life.”
Cook said he is often asked to describe Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. President.
“Even though he is a man with 100 years of history and amazing accomplishments, the description is easy — he was a man of faith and principles,” Cook said. “One of President Carter’s famous quotes was, ‘My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference.’”
In 2013, President Carter and Rosalynn spoke at the Wyoming Monument. Carter was so fascinated by the story of the Battle of Wyoming, he painted a picture of the monument.
President Carter returned back to Wyoming Valley, alone, in 2015 for yet another fundraiser, this time staying at the Cooks’ residence. Mrs. Carter was ill at the time and couldn’t travel to Pennsylvania.
“It was so neat,” Diane recalled in a Times Leader story. “We dined at the Mary Stegmaier Mansion and then afterwards we came back home and President Carter needed a snack so he had cheese and crackers and a Coke Zero.”
Over the last two decades of traveling to Plains, Georgia, the Cooks enjoyed a great relationship with the Carter, along with the stories and memories they hold.
“President Carter had us down to Plains for an event and he was introducing us and he said, ‘Larry and Diane are confused as to which Plains they live in,’” Larry reminisced.
In 2015, Carter was in Wilkes-Barre to help raise money for the Plains Better Hometown Project in Georgia. Carter attended a dinner at the Mary Stegmaier Mansion where he greeted about 64 attendees and posed for pictures. Carter offered remarks to the crowd and an auction was held featuring several items signed by Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, who did not attend the event.
“Hi everybody,” Carter said when entering the building. “I have to go here and talk to some people, but I’ll be right back. Don’t leave.”
Carter, with his trademark smile, said he always looked forward to visiting Pennsylvania. He often made fishing trips to Spruce Creek near State College and said Pennsylvania reminded him of home.
He said the Cooks have helped greatly to raise funds for the project.
“We’ve fixed up several buildings, including the schoolhouse where Rosalynn and I attended,” Carter said. “You all should come down for a visit. We have about 634 residents now.”
Carter forged lasting relationships with Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev, the People’s Republic of China and helped broker peace between Egypt and Israel. Carter served as president from 1977 to 1981.
Carter, the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, talked about The Carter Center and its worldwide mission of promoting peace and fighting disease in developing countries.
The Plains Better Hometown Program provides for the historic revitalization of Carter’s hometown. Cook said many historic sites have been saved from further ruin until the U.S. National Park Service can take them over.
Cook said the project also provides for the beautification of the town.
“President Carter was very appreciative of the support our area had given to the project in his hometown,” Cook said.
Cook is a lifelong collector of historic presidential memorabilia and is a historian, specializing in the personal side of the presidency and lesser known facts.
He and Diane founded the Plains Helping Plains Initiative — dedicated to formulating and managing projects that benefit Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s hometown of Plains, Georgia.
In 2011 he and his wife were made honorary citizens of Plains, Georgia, and were presented with proclamations by the Carters.
Over the last two decades of traveling to Plains, Georgia, the Cooks have enjoyed a great relationship with the Carters along with the stories and memories they hold.
Joe Mateo, former owner of the Frederick and Mary Stegmaier Mansions on South Franklin Street, said he was deeply saddened to hear of President Carter’s passing.
“He with us for his 90th birthday,” Matteo said. “It was always an honor to have them as our guests — we felt incredibly blessed.”
Matteo said he had many conversations with the Carters, who shared intimate stories. He said they always liked to talk about their work with Habitat for Humanity and stories about their days in the White House. It was always fascinating.”
Matteo said he will never forget the Carters telling about the time that Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff, a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor, performed at the White House.
“Being a musician myself, I found that story amazing,” Matteo said. “Over the years, the Carters gave me autographed copies of books and they sent me many letters — they are all priceless to me.”
Matteo said on one visit, the Carters entered through the service entrance.
“I ran out and grabbed their luggage,” Matteo said. “Mrs. Carter held my hand and the President walked with me on the other side. I’ll never forget that.”
Wilkes-Barre Councilman and historian Tony Brooks also recalled meeting the Carters.
”President Carter was a gracious, humble and true gentleman,” Brooks said. “It was an honor to meet him at the Wyoming Monument and later have a conversation with him and First Lady Rosalynn Carter about local history at the Stegmaier Mansion. I was delighted when he asked about Wilkes-Barre’s beehive.”