ATLANTA (AP) -- Mourners gathered Saturday at an Atlanta church to honor former Gov. Carl Sanders and his efforts to improve civil rights in Georgia.<br />
<br />
Morris News Service ( http://bit.ly/1vA4OPf ) reports Gov. Nathan Deal and former Govs. Jimmy Carter and Roy Barnes were among those attending the memorial.<br />
<br />
Sanders, a Democrat who served as governor from 1963 to 1967, died Nov. 16. In a speech, Barnes noted Sanders was elected the same day as George Wallace in Alabama, and that Sanders was accepting of desegregation while Wallace was defiant.<br />
<br />
Barnes argued Sanders created a stable business climate with his actions, crediting him with helping metro Atlanta pass Birmingham as a regional leader.<br />
<br />
Sanders, who in later years was a prominent member of Georgia's legal community, was buried at a private ceremony Wednesday in Augusta.<br />
<br />
