Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller mourned the passing of country music icon Dolly Parton on Aug. 25, releasing a statement that remembered an entertainer whose music, faith, generosity and spirit he said touched generations of Americans and earned her a place in the hearts of Texans.
“Texas may not have been Dolly Parton’s home, but we sure loved her like she was one of our own,” Miller said in the statement, issued by the Texas Department of Agriculture. “Dolly left an indelible mark on the people of the Lone Star State and on generations of Texas musicians who followed her lead.”
Miller said Parton embodied the qualities Texans admire, listing faith, hard work, independence, generosity, grace and never forgetting where you came from. “She proved a country girl could conquer the world without ever losing touch with her kindness, her roots, or her people,” the commissioner said.
The commissioner also pointed to Parton’s charitable work and her commitment to early childhood literacy, saying that through her generosity she “truly loved her neighbor.” She lifted rural America, inspired millions and stood as a shining example of the American spirit, Miller said.
“Texas has lost a great friend, and America has lost a national treasure,” Miller said. “God bless Dolly Parton. She was truly one of a kind.”