Reba McEntire has been waiting more than a year to allow friends and family to formally honor her late mother, Jacqueline McEntire, in a memorial service, but her plans have been put on hold indefinitely due to rising COVID-19 cases.
The elder McEntire died on March 14, 2020, at the age of 93, and in a post to social media on Thursday (Aug. 5), the country star says that it’s with “heavy hearts” that the family has chosen to postpone a service that was planned for Sunday (Aug. 8).
“If you knew Mama, you know she would scold us to pieces for putting on a memorial on her behalf with so many lives in danger of COVID exposure,” the younger McEntire says. “We feel that it’s not a good idea to continue with the plans due to the increase of COVID cases in Atoka County.”
Atoka County is in southeastern Oklahoma, south of Tulsa. According to the CDC data tracker that tracks COVID-19 data, the county is currently (as of Aug. 5) coded as red, the highest level of community transmission.
It’s not clear that a public memorial service for Jacqueline McEntire will be rescheduled at this point. “If and when we are able to honor our Mama, we will let you know,” her daughter says. The family did hold a private funeral last April, and Reba McEntire shared photos with fans afterward.
McEntire also announced recently that she will not go forward with her planned 2021 Reba: Live in Concert Tour, because, “as much as I wish we could get back out on the road, it’s just not possible,” the singer states on her website. Currently, McEntire’s only upcoming in-person engagements are her recently announced dates for her Las Vegas residency with Brooks & Dunn.
See the Cutest Pics of Country Stars With Their Mamas: