Dolly Parton buried in Nashville in private ceremony

Dolly Parton was laid to rest in Nashville in a small ceremony attended by about a dozen relatives and friends, following her family’s decision to honor her wish for a private funeral.

The country music star was buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum beside her husband, Carl Dean. Dean died in March 2025 at the age of 82, after 58 years of marriage.

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It is difficult for me to write this post. I wanted to wait to put everything into words until after my ‘bestie’ was laid to rest yesterday.

Parton’s grandniece, Lainey Mae Parton, described the funeral in an Instagram post. “It is difficult for me to write this post. I wanted to wait to put everything into words until after my ‘bestie’ was laid to rest yesterday,” she wrote. She thanked Parton for the support and care she had shown the family.

Because Parton could not have children herself, her grandniece wrote, she made relatives feel like they were her own. Parton died on Tuesday at age 80 after a short illness with cancer. Her family asked mourners to donate to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which distributes free books to children, rather than send flowers.

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Because she could not have children herself, she always made us feel like we were her own.