The traditional gift for a 75th wedding anniversary is diamonds. But, for the diamond anniversary of Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, another famed couple gave them something a little different. Garth Brooks and his wife Trisha Yearwood surprised the Carters with a car.
The former U.S. President, 97, and First Lady, 94, were celebrated at an icon-studded party held at their former high school, now a Carter museum, in Plains, Georgia, as part of a weekend of events. The guest list of more than 300 names included former President Bill Clinton, former U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, civil rights icon Andrew Young and media mogul, Ted Turner.
But just before the celebration, guests Brooks and Yearwood met with the Carters privately with a thoughtful, one-of-a-kind gift.
The gift — a custom 1946 Ford Super Deluxe Convertible — actually arrived ahead of the event. The gift was delivered to the couple’s home in Plains last Wednesday. Secret Service took over, stashing it in an area of the Carter’s compound where they wouldn’t see it. The vehicle was originally built the same year the couple wed.
The musicians enlisted Muffy Bennett, known as the “First Lady” of Collector Cars, to procure the car.
“Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter were presented with a 75th wedding anniversary gift from our client. The car we chose was a fully-restored 1946 Ford Super Deluxe convertible, manufactured the same year they were married,” Bennett tweeted. “It was a delight to work on Operation ‘Surprise Peanut.'”
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter were presented with a 75th wedding anniversary gift from our client. The car we chose was a fully-restored 1946 Ford Super Deluxe convertible, manufactured the same year they were married.
It was a delight to work on Operation “Surprise Peanut.” pic.twitter.com/ODk2fisDuM
— Muffy Bennett (@MuffyBennett) July 12, 2021
A close friend of the Carters, Jilly Stuckey, said the Carters enjoyed the gift.
“Bright eyes and big smiles and … very excited time, but there was so much special [about the day] because the people that were here from all aspects of their lives,” she told People.
Brooks and Yearwood had to leave the party early, as Brooks had a concert that night in Las Vegas. The couple developed a relationship with the Carters through their mutual work with Habitat for Humanity. The Carters began volunteering with the organization in 1984; Brooks and Yearwood have worked with Habitat for more than a decade, starting with helping to build post-Hurricane Katrina Habitat homes on the Gulf Coast.
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