{"id":601775,"date":"2026-08-31T17:30:16","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T17:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/601775\/"},"modified":"2026-08-31T17:30:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T17:30:16","slug":"dolly-parton-laid-to-rest-in-private-family-funeral-in-nashville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/601775\/","title":{"rendered":"Dolly Parton Laid to Rest in Private Family Funeral in Nashville"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tDolly Parton<\/a> was laid to rest in a private family funeral<\/a> in Nashville on Friday (Aug. 28). The \u201cJolene\u201d singer was buried next to her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, who died in 2025 at 82. The late singer\u2019s great niece, Lainey Parton, confirmed details about the private ceremony, writing on Instagram<\/a>, \u201cThis 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAccording to E!<\/a>, the small funeral for the singer who died on Aug. 25<\/a> at age 80 following what was described as a brief battle with cancer was held at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville. <\/p>\n

\n\tWhile no further details were available about the service at press time, in announcing her death last week, Parton\u2019s nephew, Brian Seaver, revealed in a video<\/a> that his aunt had a special request for how she should be buried. \u201cDolly was a farmer, just like her daddy,\u201d Seaver said. \u201cHe farmed the soil. She farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIn a 2014 interview with EW, Parton was asked what song she wanted to be played at her funeral<\/a>, and while many expected her to pick the beloved \u201cI Will Always Love You<\/a>,\u201d \u2014\u00a0the song she wrote and recorded and which later became a massive Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 smash for Whitney Houston \u2014\u00a0Parton chose another poignant song instead.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI\u2019m sure they\u2019ll be playing \u2018I Will Always Love You\u2019 when I die, just like they did with Whitney Houston,\u201d she said at the time. But the tune Parton actually chose for her own funeral was \u201cIf We Never Meet Again,\u201d an old country-gospel hymn that was her father\u2019s favorite, which was performed at his funeral.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s an old country-gospel church song that talks about if we never meet again this side of heaven, I will meet you on that beautiful shore,\u201d she told EW back then, quoting the lyric: \u201cWhere the charming roses bloom forever and where separations come no more.\u201d\u00a0Parton and Dean are interred in a mausoleum featuring a large plaque that had her name engraved on it before her death, according to People<\/a>, alongside an engraved image of her childhood home in Sevier County, Tenn. and the couple\u2019s marriage date alongside an image of intertwined wedding bands.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn addition to picking out that song, Parton also locked an unreleased song called \u201cMy Place in History\u201d in a chestnut box at the Dollywood DreamMore Resort in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. The tune was written in 2015, the same year the resort opened, and Parton\u2019s wishes were that it be unveiled on what would have been her 100th birthday on Jan. 19, 2046.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhile fans could not pay their respects in person, Parton\u2019s team said if admirers wanted to participate they could tag her on social media or share a donation to her book-gifting nonprofit, Imagination Library<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral home\u2019s memorial for the singer read<\/a>: \u201cA rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see, Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family. Dolly Parton\u2019s legacy is one of love, kindness, and resilience. With a seven-decade career, she inspired multiple generations of artists and fans with her music and an unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. Her songs will continue to resonate with people of all ages, and her philanthropic work will have a lasting impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tParton was honored by her fellow country stars and peers<\/a> at the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday (Aug. 29), where Carly Pearce, Jelly Roll, Kathy Mattea, Ketch Secor and Molly Tuttle, Channing Wilson and Parton\u2019s niece, Jada Star took the stage at the Nashville institution that inducted Parton in 1969. It was just the latest in a flood of tributes<\/a> that have poured in since the beloved singer\u2019s death last week in an outpouring of love<\/a> for a one-of-a-kind performer whose career transcended music and touched millions around the world. <\/p>\n


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