Eight years ago on Monday (March 4), the world said goodbye to Joey Feek — a.k.a., one-half of country duo Joey + Rory, wife to singer-songwriter and homesteader Rory Feek and mom to then-two-year-old Indiana.
Indiana — who goes by Indy — is now 10 years old, and of course, she has no real memories of her late mom. But the young girl still commemorated the anniversary of Joey’s death on Monday, spending some time by her mom’s grave on the family’s property.
In the photo, Indy — now looking all grown up with pink cowboy boots and a matching turtleneck sweater — pets a tabby cat as she sits in the grass. Nearby, Joey’s grave marker is adorned with a colorful array of flowers.
Feek posted his own reflections on the eight-year anniversary of his wife’s death, marveling in a blog post on everything that has changed — and everything that hasn’t — since he lost Joey. Not long before the eight-year anniversary rolled around, Feek revealed to fans that he’s found love again and is now in a relationship with a teacher named Rebecca.
Related: Rory Feek Finds Love Again, Eight Years After Wife Joey’s Death
As he shared the photo of Indy sitting by her mother’s grave, Feek pointed out another example of how the passage of time has played out in surprising ways over the past eight years.
“Eight years is forever when you’re only ten…” he wrote. “But it’s only a blink compared to forever in Heaven.”
How Did Joey Feek Die?
- Joey Feek, one half of the country duo Joey + Rory, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2014. At the time, the couple’s daughter Indy was just four months old.
- She underwent surgery, but the following summer, she and her husband Rory revealed the devastating news that the cancer had returned and was Stage 4.
- In 2015, Joey fought her disease with extensive surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Tragically, nothing worked to stop the spread of the cancer, and in October, she decided to stop treatment.
- Joey Feek died on March 4, 2016. She was 40 years old.
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Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak