BARDSTOWN, Ky. — Former President Jimmy Carter stopped through Bardstown in a series of town halls midway through his presidency in 1979. For one Kentucky family, that visit made for a story that’s still worth sharing decades later.

Jim and Jeannette Cantrell moved to Bardstown with their two small children half a century ago so Jim could further pursue his career in art. They opened a pottery studio and eventually an art gallery.

When their son, Sean, was 13-years-old, he caught wind that then-President Carter was coming to town. He worked hard to figure out how to be in the middle of the action.

“He went to City Hall, and then he found out that they were preparing,” Jeannette recalled, explaining her son got city workers to tell him where the president would speak, learning it would be in his school’s gymnasium. “It took them a week to get, I guess, bleachers ready and everything, make sure it was secure and safe and what not, and he just hung out there for the entire week.”

As Carter’s motorcade made its way into Bardstown, Sean secured two seats for his parents and enlisted himself to be one of the few who would get to ask the president a question.

“So it got time for Sean to ask the question,” Jeannette explained, “And all of a sudden, his microphone isn’t working, and you know, instead of the president standing there and waiting or whatever, he says, ‘No, you come on up and use my microphone,’ and had him come up and put his arm around him for a second.”

In archive video from WHAS-11, Sean can be seen asking Carter, “What would the circumstances have to be before you’d have to ration gas, should Congress give you their permission to do so?”

Carter smiled and thanked Sean, telling him it was a good question before giving his response.

“For him to be kind and say, ‘Come on up here young man and use my microphone,’ of course, we went nuts. The whole place did. But you probably heard me over everybody else,” Jeannette laughed.

Looking back at old newspaper clippings she’s kept from that day, Jeanette read back what her wise-beyond-his-years-son told a reporter when asked why he presented such a serious question to the president.

“He said, ‘Well, by the time I get to age 18, I plan to go to the Air Force Academy. I want there to be enough gas so in case there will be a war, they’ll be able to fight it,’” Jeannette read, laughing, “I thought, ‘Who would’ve thought of that?’”

Meanwhile, that day, Jim was just as busy as his son. He took a camera with him to the president’s speech and photographed Carter. Afterward, he went home and developed the film in his own darkroom. Then he painted a series of watercolors from the photos.

Two of those watercolors of former President Carter remain in his home gallery. Another now hangs in the Butler Institute of American Art in Ohio.

In the years following, the Cantrells felt a special connection to Carter.

“He became an ex-president, a former president, and to see how he lived his life afterward,” Jeannette said, with Jim adding, “He was a good man.”

Jeanette said, “Why can’t politicians be more like this gentleman? This man exhibited to the world how we are to live, and I feel like we’re among the fortunate who were actually able to see him up close.”

By sharing Jim’s art and their stories, others can still see that day in history as well.

At 87-years old, Jim still paints every day. He even took up building model-ships several years ago while he was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation.

Anyone can visit Jim and Jeannette and view Jim’s art at Bardstown Art Gallery at 214 W. Stephen Foster Avenue in Bardstown. Operating hours are Monday through Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.