The late singing legend Dolly Parton has been laid to rest near her husband, Carl Thomas Dean. The singer’s family gathered for an intimate funeral at Nashville’s Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum, where she was laid to rest beside her husband, who died in March 2025 at the age of 82.Taking to Instagram on Saturday, Dolly’s niece Lainey Parton shared that the singer had been laid to rest in a heartfelt tribute to the singer. She shared a series of pictures of the pair over the years.
Dolly Parton’s niece Lainey Parton pays tribute
She wrote in the caption, “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. 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”.She further mentioned, “One memory I’ll always hold onto is when she asked me to sing with her on her @smokymountaindna album. I was a freshman in high school and SO nervous. But she had a way of making me feel like nothing bad could happen. She made me feel safe, confident, and like I belonged right there beside her (sic)”.“As I got older, she continued to believe in me. When I told her I wanted to go to beauty school, she never questioned why I wasn’t going to college. She told me she couldn’t see me doing anything else. She financially supported me through school and helped me get my career started. She didn’t just tell me to chase my dreams, she helped me get there. I’m so thankful I said yes to the opportunities and memories I got to share with her as my Aunt Dolly, including being in a movie with her. I’m so glad I have those moments to look back on now. I have things I can watch, hear, and hold onto when I miss her”, she added.
Dolly Parton’s family gathers at private ceremony
The update comes after Parton’s loved ones gathered at her Nashville burial site on Friday, days after her death. Photos showed some of her closest relatives, including her nephew and longtime head of security, Bryan Seaver, arriving at the cemetery for a private ceremony.At the time, it was unclear whether the funeral had taken place on Friday morning. Parton’s representative had previously said that a “small and private service” would be held for her immediate family, in keeping with the musician’s wishes.Parton’s representatives later confirmed to Page Six that she had died following a “brief battle” with cancer.Dolly’s rep previously said in a statement that the singer had requested a private service, and asked fans and friends who wanted to pay their respects to do so by tagging her on social media or by sharing a donation to her book gifting organization, the Imagination Library.
