Former President Jimmy Carter Was a Family Man With a Close-Knit Group of Grandkids
Jimmy Carter and his late wife Rosalynn Carter had four kids and more than a dozen grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who were all close to them.
Published Dec. 30 2024, 7:20 a.m. ET
On Dec. 29, former President Jimmy Carter died. He was 100 years old. During his lifetime, he served one term as president and would even win the Nobel Peace Prize. But outside of his professional life, he and late wife Rosalynn Carter had four kids together. So, who are Jimmy Carter's grandchildren? He had several of those as well. And one of them was even on a reality show, where he spoke highly of his grandfather.
Although Jimmy was only the president once and not reelected after his first term, he remained an important political figure. And until his 2024 death, he was the oldest living president. Not long before his passing, he even celebrated his 100th birthday with family, and yes, that included Jimmy's many grandchildren.
Who are Jimmy Carter's grandchildren?
Jimmy and Rosalynn had four children together — Amy Carter, James Carter, Jack Carter, and Donnel Carter. Although none of them followed in Jimmy's footsteps in lucrative political careers like his, Jack did make a bid for a U.S. Senate seat in 2006. However, he lost. That doesn't mean that political prowess that Jimmy had is totally lost on the rest of his family, though. And in total, Jimmy had 22 grandchildren and great-grandchildren combined. Talk about leaving behind a memorable legacy.
Jimmy's son Jack's daughter Sarah Rosemary Carter has remained mostly out of the public eye, despite her famous father and grandfather. But in 2009, she gave birth to Josephine Beverly, one of Jimmy's many great-grandchildren. James's son James Earl Carter IV didn't exactly follow in his grandfather's footsteps in politics, but he does post about politics on social media often and on X (formerly Twitter), he calls himself a "political junkie."
Donnel's son Jeremy Davis Carter died in 2015 from an unexpected heart attack. He was 28 at the time. The following day at a Sunday Bible study and shared the news of his grandson's passing.
"He was just 28 and a very wonderful young man who we loved very much," he reportedly said at the time.
Amy, Jimmy and Rosalynn's only daughter, had a son, Hugo James Wentzel, in 1999. While he, too, isn't in the public eye for politics, he made a name for himself in a small way when he competed on the reality show Claim to Fame in 2023. At the time, he shared with Distractify that his grandfather was supportive of him going on the show to compete for $100,000.
"He was excited and wanted me to be myself, spread love, and just spread my personality with the world," Hugo said.
Jimmy Carter's wife died a year before he did.
Rosalynn died on Nov. 19, 2023, just two days after entering hospice care following her dwindling health due to dementia. When she passed away, Jimmy said in a statement, "Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished. She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me."