Montana’s Own Tie to Dolly Parton Runs Deeper Than You Think

If you drive past a government building anytime in the next few days and notice the flag sitting lower than usual, that's not an accident. Flags across Montana are flying at half staff as the state joins the rest of the country in mourning the death of Dolly Parton, the country music icon who died Tuesday at age 80.

I grew up on her music the way a lot of us did, and there's something about seeing that flag lowered here at home, not just on the news out of Nashville, that makes it feel real.

Why Are Flags at Half Staff in Montana Today

Governor Greg Gianforte issued a proclamation ordering all flags in the State of Montana to fly at half staff from Tuesday, August 25 at 6 p.m. until Tuesday, September 1, following a national order from President Donald Trump. That means state buildings, courthouses and other flagpoles across all 56 counties are lowered together this week, not just the ones in Helena.

Parton's nephew, Bryan Seaver, confirmed her death in a video posted to social media, saying she passed peacefully in Nashville. No cause of death has been released.

The Governor and First Lady Susan Gianforte released a joint statement on the news, saying Parton left "an incredible mark on millions of families across the nation and right here in Montana," according to the Fairfield Sun Times. That last part isn't just a nice line. Montana has its own real connection to her, and it goes further than most people probably realize.

How Long Will Flags Stay Lowered Across Montana

If you're wondering how long to expect flags across the state to fly at half staff, they will remain that way until sunset on September 1, which is when the week-long order wraps up.  Run your errands anywhere in the state this week, from Billings to Bozeman to the smallest county seat, and you'll see it at courthouses, schools and other government buildings.

Montana's Ties to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

Governor Greg Gianforte and First Lady Susan Gianforte praised Parton's legacy as a champion for children in their statement, pointing to her lifelong passion for inspiring a love of reading. Since the program expanded statewide in 2023, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has mailed more than 970,000 free books directly to children across all 56 Montana counties, reaching nearly 30,000 kids under age five. Susan Gianforte was talking about the program's impact just this month on our Montana State News Network.

There's one more piece of this that hits harder than the rest. The Gianfortes hosted a statewide celebration in Bozeman last August marking two years since the Imagination Library became available to every county in the state, and Parton had planned to be there in person. She ended up appearing by video message instead, telling the crowd she hoped they could reschedule soon. In an interview with our newsroom, the Governor and First Lady shared that Parton's health concerns at the time were tied to her still grieving the loss of her longtime husband.

Dolly Parton's Legacy Reaches Well Beyond Nashville

Six decades is a long time to stay relevant, and Parton did more than stay relevant. She sold over 100 million records and won 11 Grammys, plus a humanitarian Oscar and a run of film roles, including the one a lot of us can still quote lines from in "Steel Magnolias," per NewsNation. And that's really just the awards shelf, not the whole picture.

She built the Dollywood Foundation in 1988 and kept funding causes in her home region of East Tennessee for the rest of her life, from wildfire relief to children's hospitals. She also spent her career staying out of politics entirely, once telling NBC's Today show in 2021 that she'd rather people remember her for her music than for any award tied to a particular administration.

If you're driving around the next few days, take a second look at the flags you pass. A lot of us grew up with Dolly'svoice in the background of our lives without ever really thinking about it, and today's one of those days you notice it was there all along, even here.