One year after her death, Loretta Lynn‘s family is still cherishing their memories with her and mourning her loss.
In an anniversary statement posted to the country legend’s website, Lynn’s family recount the day she died as if it had happened only yesterday.
“It was just supposed to be another day,” the statement begins, winding back the clock to the day the country legend died on Oct. 4, 2022, at 90 years old. “A day that we live life, run errands, figure out supper and — as always — talk to to momma. But she was gone … really gone. It couldn’t be true.”
From there, the family’s remembrance acknowledges that they knew Lynn’s death was coming. Her health had been in decline, and even more tellingly, she had let them know days earlier that angels were coming to get her.
Still, there was nothing that could have prepared the family for the shock of losing their matriarch, and one year later, they say they’re still adjusting to life without her.
“12 months since we heard her voice, the first birthdays she didn’t sing to us. 52 weeks since we had a conversation, the first decisions without her. 365 days since we saw her sweet smile, our greatest pain felt without our strongest comforter to comfort us,” the remembrance goes on to say.
The family acknowledged that as “tough” as their first year without Lynn has been, they’ve also felt buoyed by love and support from her fans across the world. On the first anniversary of her death, they’re rededicating themselves to honoring her legacy — both as a massively impactful musician and as a powerful presence in their family.
“More than ever we are committed to honoring her life, her songwriting, her music, her message, her authenticity,” the statement concludes. “We are committing ourselves to this task for the rest of our lives.”
When Lynn died, she left behind sisters Crystal Gayle, Betty Ruth Hopkins and Peggy Sue Wright, as well as daughters Patsy Lynn Russell, Peggy Lynn, Clara (Cissie) Marie Lynn and son Ernest Ray Lynn.
She was preceded in death by two of her children: Betty Sue Lynn, who died of complications of emphysema in 2013, and Jack Benny Lynn, who died in 1984 when he drowned trying to ford a river on the family’s property.