Clara Marie Ramey Webb was the mother of Loretta Lynn, a country music legend who passed away on October 4, 2022, at the age of 90. Clara Marie was also the mother of Crystal Gayle, another famous singer, and six other children. She was born on May 5, 1912, in Johnson County, Kentucky, and married Melvin Webb on March 7, 1929, when she was only 16 years old. She lived a hard life as a coal miner’s wife and raised her children in a cabin on a hill in Butcher Hollow. She was known for her strong personality, her love for her family, and her Irish and Cherokee heritage. But how did Clara Marie Ramey Webb die? Here are some facts about her death and legacy.
Contents
- 1 Clara Marie Ramey Webb Died of Heart Failure
- 2 Clara Marie Ramey Webb Outlived Four of Her Children
- 3 Clara Marie Ramey Webb Inspired Some of Loretta Lynn’s Songs
- 4 Clara Marie Ramey Webb Was Portrayed by Sissy Spacek in the Movie Coal Miner’s Daughter
- 5 Clara Marie Ramey Webb Left a Legacy of Music and Love
Clara Marie Ramey Webb Died of Heart Failure
According to Find A Grave, Clara Marie Ramey Webb died on November 24, 1981, in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 69. The cause of death was heart failure. She had been suffering from heart problems for several years and had undergone a heart surgery in 1979. She was buried in Butcher Family Cemetery in Williamsport, Kentucky, next to her first husband Melvin Webb, who died in 1959.
Clara Marie Ramey Webb Outlived Four of Her Children
Clara Marie Ramey Webb had eight children with Melvin Webb: Melvin Jr., Loretta, Herman, Jay Lee, Donald Ray, Betty Ruth, Peggy Sue, and Crystal Gayle. Sadly, she outlived four of them. Melvin Jr. died in 1993 at the age of 63; Jay Lee died in 1996 at the age of 59; Herman died in 2018 at the age of 83; and Loretta died in 2022 at the age of 90. Donald Ray, Betty Ruth, Peggy Sue, and Crystal Gayle are still alive as of October 2022.
Clara Marie Ramey Webb Inspired Some of Loretta Lynn’s Songs
Clara Marie Ramey Webb was a major influence on Loretta Lynn’s music career. She encouraged her daughter to sing and play guitar from a young age and supported her dreams of becoming a star. She also inspired some of Loretta’s songs, such as “Coal Miner’s Daughter”, which tells the story of her childhood in Butcher Hollow; “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like My Daddy Anymore”, which pays tribute to her father Melvin Webb; and “Van Lear Rose”, which honors her mother’s beauty and strength.
Clara Marie Ramey Webb Was Portrayed by Sissy Spacek in the Movie Coal Miner’s Daughter
Clara Marie Ramey Webb’s life was depicted in the movie Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980), which was based on Loretta Lynn’s autobiography of the same name. The movie starred Sissy Spacek as Loretta Lynn and Tommy Lee Jones as Doolittle Lynn, Loretta’s husband. Spacek also played Clara Marie Ramey Webb in some scenes that showed Loretta’s childhood and early marriage. Spacek won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the movie.
Clara Marie Ramey Webb Left a Legacy of Music and Love
Clara Marie Ramey Webb may not have been famous herself, but she left a lasting legacy through her children and grandchildren. Many of them followed her footsteps into the music industry, such as Crystal Gayle, Peggy Sue Wright, Patsy Lynn Russell, Ernest Ray Lynn, Tayla Lynn, and Tre Twitty. They have all expressed their gratitude and admiration for their mother and grandmother over the years. Clara Marie Ramey Webb was a remarkable woman who faced many challenges and hardships with courage and grace. She will always be remembered as the mother of Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle, and as the coal miner’s daughter who gave birth to a dynasty of music.