Dolly Parton, a decorated actress, musician and literacy advocate, passed away Tuesday. She was 80 years old. The country music icon is largely remembered for breaking generational barriers within music and artistry. From Hollywood to Nashville, her legacy resonated with people of all backgrounds.
That legacy extends to South Carolina's Upstate.
Parton's mother, Avie Lee Caroline Owens Parton, was born in Union County in 1923. She grew up in the small town of Lockhart. The town has a population of less than 400 people.
"Dolly Parton passed away today," wrote the town in a Tuesday statement. "From her mother’s humble beginnings to her bigger than life reach, she never forgot where she came from. She was a shining light to so many."
Dolly was one of Avie's 12 children. Though she always considered Tennessee her home, she never forgot where her family came from. In one of Parton's many acts of philanthropy throughout her life, she donated $100,000 to the Union Medical Center in 2025. That donation would later be used to construct a healing garden outside the medical center.
"Thank you, Dolly – for the decades of entertainment and for investing in the future of our community," the medical center writes. "Your investment in the healing garden at the new Union Medical Center will provide a space for reflection and community gatherings for generations to come. We will always love you."
Parton's children's literacy program, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, provides free books to children from birth to age five. South Carolina children remember her presence in the pages they read. South Carolina's Palmetto Project is one of several Imagination Library partners.
"Because of the Imagination Library, generations of children have experienced the magic of opening their mailbox and finding their very own Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library book to keep forever," wrote the Palmetto Project. "She dreamed of inspiring children to love reading, and founded the Imagination Library in 1995 in honor of her father."
Parton's team confirmed shortly after her death that she was fighting cancer. She passed away at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville.
