Dolly Parton has finally been “laid to rest.”
Days after the Jolene singer’s death at the age of 80, her niece, Lainey Parton, took to Instagram on Saturday, August 29, to share a heartbreaking post, revealing that Dolly was buried in an intimate funeral.
Alongside a carousel of throwback photos of the 9 to 5 hitmaker, Lainey expressed, “This is a really hard post for me to make. I wanted to wait until after my granny was laid to rest yesterday before I tried to put any of this into words.”
She emotionally penned, “From the time I was little, my granny always had a way of making me feel like I was enough. She never made my dreams feel too big or made me feel like I couldn’t do something. She believed in me before I even knew how to believe in myself. Most people can think of at least one bad memory with everyone in their family. I honestly can’t think of one with her.”
“Because she couldn’t have kids of her own, she always made us feel like we were hers. She loved us that way, and I’ll forever be grateful for that,” Lainey continued.
Dolly’s niece went on to recall how the iconic country singer first invited her to sing on her Smoky Mountain DNA album when she was a nervous high school freshman.
As she grew older, the I Will Always Love You hitmaker continued to support her dreams, even financially helping her attend beauty school and start her career.
Lainey also expressed that she was grateful for the opportunities and memories they shares, including appearing in a movie together, which she can now cherish after her “aunt granny’s” passing.
“It still doesn’t feel real that she’s gone. I’m going to miss her voice, her laugh, her hugs, and just knowing she was there. I’m even going to miss those 4 AM calls, and I’d give anything to see her name pop up on my phone again,” she said.
The statement concluded, “I feel incredibly lucky that I got to call her my granny. Thank you for always believing in me, loving me, and making me feel like I could do anything. I love you, Granny. Always.”
Dolly Parton’s death
Dolly Parton was pronounced dead at the age of 80 on Tuesday, August 25, with her family sharing that she passed away peacefully while being surrounded by her loved ones at her Nashville home.
According to her representative, Dolly Parton’s cause of death was cancer.
The country music legend briefly battled an undisclosed form of cancer and was admitted to hospital four days before her passing.
