Dolly Parton was laid to rest on August 28, three days after her death at the age of 80.
The singer and philanthropist's private funeral service was strictly for close family and friends, who were pictured honoring the singer's love for color and style in a variety of outfits, straying from traditional mourning black.
© InstagramDolly was laid to rest at the Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum, right beside her husband of 59 years Carl Dean, who died in early 2025.
Dolly Parton's niece pays tribute
The day after her funeral service, one of her nieces, Lainey Mae Parton, shared an emotional tribute to her "Aunt Dolly" on social media, calling her "granny" and sharing some insight into Dolly's role as a maternal figure to her many nieces and nephews.
"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," Lainey began.
"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."
Dolly as a mom to her nieces and nephews
Highlighting just how beloved Dolly really was, even behind closed doors, she added: "Most people can think of at least one bad memory with everyone in their family. I honestly can't think of one with her."
© InstagramLainey explained that due to the "I Will Always Love You" hitmaker's inability to have kids of her own, she was a doting mother to her nieces and nephews. "She loved us that way, and I'll forever be grateful for that."
Working with her "Aunt Dolly" on music
Lainey looked back on one of her fondest memories with Dolly, when she joined her in the recording booth for her 2024 album Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables, which was credited to "Dolly Parton and Family."
"I was a freshman in high school and SO nervous," she recalled. "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."
"As I got older, she continued to believe in me," Lainey continued. "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."
While expressing how grateful she was that she got to experience so much with her Aunt Dolly, and see so much of her in the media she put out, she poignantly wrote: "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."
© InstagramLainey shared her gratitude for everyone in her circle as well as Dolly's numerous fans who showered her and their family with love and support. "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."
