| Rachel Idlette Holt
Clark was born April 2, 1890 in Sumter
County, Georgia. In 1912, Rachel married
Jack Clark, and in the 1920s they moved
to Archery to work for Earl Carter.
The small tenant house the Clarks
lived in was just past the Carter's
vegetable garden. They lived on a
path young Jimmy Carter traveled often.
He spent a lot of time with the Clarks
and often asked to spend the night
with them when his parents were out
of town. The Clarks kept a sleeping
pallet filled with either corn shucks
or wheat straw, which Jimmy would
sleep on.
Young Jimmy spent time working on
the farm beside Jack and Rachel. Their
days began at 4:00 a.m., hoeing weeds,
stacking peanuts, picking cotton,
and caring for the Carter's farm animals.
Although farm life was hard work,
Jimmy and Rachel would find time to
go fishing in the nearby creek. On
the walk to the creek, Rachel would
tell Jimmy stories about life's lessons
and would share with him her words
of wisdom. these words stayed with
him all of his life.
In President Carter's recent book,
An Hour Before Daylight, he stated,
"Of all the people who lived
near us on the farm, Rachel Clark
was the most remarkable and made the
most significant and lasting impact
on me." Rachel Clark leaves a
legacy of goodness in the little community
of Archery and Plains, as people remember
her words of encouragement, telling
them to always to the thing that was
right.
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