Country music legend Dolly Parton was laid to rest in a private burial in Nashville on Friday, three days after her death at the age of 80.

Parton’s niece, Lainey Mae Parton, confirmed the burial in an emotional social media tribute Saturday, sharing photographs and reflecting on the singer’s profound influence on her family.

“This is a really hard post for me to make,” she wrote, explaining that she had waited until after the burial before publicly expressing her grief.

Lainey Mae remembered Parton as a deeply supportive presence who encouraged her from childhood and made her feel valued.

“She believed in me before I even knew how to believe in myself,” she wrote.

She also reflected on Parton’s close relationship with her nieces and nephews, saying the music icon treated them as her own children.

“Because she couldn’t have kids of her own, she always made us feel like we were hers,” she wrote. “She loved us that way, and I’ll forever be grateful for that.”

Parton died on August 25 after what her publicist described as a brief battle with cancer.

The singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist leaves behind a decades-long legacy as one of country music’s most influential and recognizable figures.