Dolly Parton has been laid to rest beside her husband, Carl Dean, in a private Nashville ceremony that was a far quieter goodbye than the life she lived in the spotlight.
Dolly was buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum on Friday, just 3 days after her death, with the ceremony guest list kept intimate.
© Backgrid/The Grosby GroupOnly immediate family attended the funeral, according to PEOPLE, as those closest to Dolly gathered to say goodbye to the woman the world knew as a superstar.
© Backgrid/The Grosby GroupPhotos from the day show a small group arriving at the cemetery, with black SUVs gathered outside the mausoleum and family members wearing what suited them best for the occasion.
© Backgrid/The Grosby GroupThere was nothing flashy about the scene. With guests wearing cowboy hats, boots, and blue jeans – everything fitting for a Tennessee-loving cowgirl’s funeral. Tennessee State Troopers were also present as the family arrived and departed.
© Backgrid/The Grosby GroupDolly is now resting beside Carl, the man she loved for nearly six decades.
A quiet goodbye after a loud life
The woman whose signature look was built around flashy outfits and big hair had deliberate plans for when she left Earth. Her nephew Bryan Seaver previously revealed that Dolly wanted to rest in “a beautiful bed of plush cotton,” explaining that after a lifetime of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserved to be “comfortable and have some rest.”
Her final outfit was expected to be a cotton dress and high heels.
© CBS Photo ArchiveShe also wanted her funeral to remain private, with her family previously saying that she did not want a traditional public memorial.
© GettyInstead, Dolly had envisioned a celebration of her life through music, something that is now being carried forward through plans for DollyFest in Nashville and London in 2027.
From her family
But while fans have been remembering the woman behind “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” Dolly’s sisters have been grieving someone much more personal.
© Ron GalellaHer younger sister Freida Parton opened up about that relationship in an emotional tribute following the funeral, calling Dolly her “Dolly Momma.” “I know to the entire world, she was a superstar, but to me, she was my Dolly Momma,” Freida wrote.
Freida’s memories went back much further than Dolly’s years as a superstar. She remembered her sister as someone who became a source of comfort long before the rest of the world knew her name.
She recalled the two sisters climbing into bed together because they were both afraid of the dark, before Dolly stepped into a much bigger role in her life and helped raise Freida from ages 13 to 18.
Their relationship wasn’t perfect, and Freida was honest about that too. “Like all sisters, we definitely had our share of arguments and disagreements throughout the years,” she wrote, “but even through all the highs and lows, and all the laughter and tears, I never stopped loving her.”
Freida called Dolly’s death an “insurmountable loss” and said there would never be anyone who could replace her in their hearts. She also promised to carry forward what Dolly gave so freely. “I know she would want me to keep going, keep smiling, and keep sharing the love she gave so freely with others,” Freida wrote.
© GettyAnother sister, Stella Parton, had already shared a glimpse into the quiet routine she and Dolly maintained for years. Every Tuesday morning, before sunrise, the sisters would have coffee together over the phone. They would catch up, gossip and make plans, keeping alive a tradition that began when they were little farm girls in Tennessee. “My Tuesday morning coffee time will never be the same, but her love, respect and goodness will remain,” Stella wrote.
Stella also remembered Dolly as someone who was constantly thinking about other people. She wrote that her sister was one of the most generous, thoughtful and kind people she had ever known, adding that Dolly even agreed to allow doctors to try experimental treatments if there was no hope for her, in the hope that it could help someone else in the future.
For Dolly’s great-niece Lainey Parton, the loss has been just as personal. Lainey said she waited until after her grandmother was laid to rest before trying to put her grief into words. She described Dolly as someone who made her feel like she was enough and never made her dreams seem too big. “It still doesn’t feel real that she’s gone,” Lainey wrote. “I’m going to miss her voice, her laugh, her hugs, and just knowing she was there.”
Lainey also explained the special place Dolly held in the family, writing that although Dolly never had children of her own, she made the younger members of the family feel as though they were hers. “She believed in me before I even knew how to believe in myself,” Lainey wrote.
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