Dolly Parton has made the final stop of her long, colorful life.

The country music icon, who died on Aug. 25 at age 80, was laid to rest during a private service attended only by immediate family on Friday, Aug. 28, according to her great-niece, Lainey Parton.

Sharing throwback photos of herself and Dolly from over the years, Lainey wrote in the caption of an Aug. 29 Instagram post, “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,” she continued. “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,” added Lainey of Dolly. “She loved us that way, and I’ll forever be grateful for that.”

In her caption, Lainey recalled of Dolly, “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.”

“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,” the Parton family member added. “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.”

Lainey expressed that she was “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 continued.

Lainey then wrote that “it still doesn’t feel real that she’s gone.” She added of Dolly, “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.”

Dolly Parton in May 2025.Jason Kempin/Getty
Expressing her thanks “to everyone who has reached out, sent messages, flowers to my house, or done any of the little things to show me love,” Lainey said, “I’ve noticed every single one, and they’ve meant more than you know.”

“I feel incredibly lucky that I got to call her my granny,” she concluded. “Thank you for always believing in me, loving me, and making me feel like I could do anything. I love you, Granny. Always. 🤍.”

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Dolly died on Aug. 25, and her nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced the news in an Instagram video the same day.

In a statement to PEOPLE, reps for Dolly confirmed her death followed a “brief battle with cancer.” The type of cancer was not disclosed.

“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand,” the statement read.

“Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact. After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones,” the statement concluded.

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The singer was admitted to the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville on Friday, Aug. 21, where she died four days later. Dolly was dealing with kidney and autoimmune issues prior to her death.

Dolly’s rep previously said in a statement that the “Jolene” 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.

Dolly Parton and her husband Carl Dean.Dolly Parton/Instagram
Dolly was likely laid to rest beside Carl Dean, her husband of nearly 60 years, at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville.

After Dean died in March 2025, he was interred in a mausoleum at the cemetery, and a large plaque was mounted that also listed Dolly’s name.

The plaque included engravings of two houses, including Dolly’s childhood home in Sevier County, Tenn. The couple’s marriage date was also included, alongside a pair of intertwining wedding bands.