Loretta Lynn's granddaughter Lynn Massey dies after 'difficult' health battle

Loretta Lynn's family is grieving the loss of the country music legend’s eldest granddaughter.

Verified Instagram and Facebook pages for the late icon, who died two years ago at age 90, shared word of Lynn Massey’s death last week.

"Betty Sue's daughter Lynn Massey, Loretta’s first grandchild, passed away this week after a long and difficult health battle," the family's announcement said. "Our family is so grateful for the prayers and love continually shown to us."

The post included a snapshot of Massey, 59, smiling broadly and standing in front of shelves displaying her grandmother's vinyl albums. She was born 11 months after Loretta Lynn's youngest children, twins Peggy and Patsy.

Chad Gallagher, a representative for the family, told USA TODAY that Massey died Aug. 20.

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Massey's mother, the singer's eldest child Betty Sue, died in 2013 from complications of emphysema, according to The Associated Press.

"My condolences to this AMAZING family," wrote one fan. "Sending so much love," Jewel wrote.

Loretta Lynn, a coal miner's daughter who married at 15, was famously a mother of four when she launched her career back in the 1960s. She was one of the first female music stars to write her own hits and challenged long-held notions about gender roles in hits like "Rated 'X' " and "Don’t Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)."

She was the first woman named entertainer of the year at the Country Music Association Awards (in 1972) and the Academy of Country Music Awards (1975).

One of Lynn's 26 grandchildren, Emmy Russell, competed on "American Idol" earlier this year and made it to the top five of Season 22, where she performed her grandmother's hit "Coal Miner's Daughter." The star's granddaughter Tayla Lynn, also has a career as a singer-songwriter and has toured with Conway Twitty's grandson, Tre Twitty.

Lynn’s grandson Jeffrey Allen Lynn died unexpectedly at 47 in 2016, her website announced at the time.

Contributing: Peter Cooper, The (Nashville) Tennessean

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