Country music fans packed Lori's Roadhouse in West Chester on Tuesday, Aug. 25, filling the dance floor in cowboy boots to line-dance to Dolly Parton's songs hours after learning the entertainer had died.

Parton died at age 80 at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville after a brief battle with cancer. She was surrounded by loved ones.

At the roadhouse, the mood mixed grief with gratitude. West Chester resident Sam Shaw said the news hit hard.

"It was really upsetting. She means a lot to me," Shaw said, adding that Parton's generosity defined her legacy. "I think it's her kindness. Just thinking about everybody and wanting a better future for people too. Especially the kids."

Shaw said she always wanted to meet Parton but felt a connection through her music.

Ryan Raymer of Liberty Township called the loss shocking, praising Parton's roots and "how much she helps the community."

The tributes extended well beyond the dance floor. Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine, who worked with Parton to launch the Imagination Library in Ohio in August 2019, pledged to keep the program running. DeWine said approximately 430,000 Ohio children are currently enrolled, and nearly 28 million books have been mailed since the program went statewide, according to WLWT.

"We're going to do everything we can to make sure that the program goes on in Ohio. We're not going to give up. We're going to keep this going," DeWine said.

Parton launched the Imagination Library in 1995 in her Tennessee hometown, inspired by her father, who could not read or write. As of the day she died, the program had gifted more than 332 million books worldwide. In Hamilton County alone, the program has served more than 30,000 children and mailed more than two million books since launching in 2015, according to WLWT.

As we reported Aug. 26, MidPointe Library System and Lane Libraries administer the program locally in Butler County, making it free for all children from birth to age 5.

Parton's family has asked fans to donate to the Imagination Library in her honor.

Butler County families can enroll children at ohioimaginationlibrary.org or by calling MidPointe Library at 513-424-1251.