Loretta Lynn safe, but foreman dies when swept away at Tennessee ranch hit by floods
Deadly floods in Tennessee have inundated a ranch owned by Loretta Lynn, but her family says the 89-year-old country music icon is safe.
Lynn’s foreman Wayne Spears, however, died after being swept away in flood waters, according to a post on the ranch’s Facebook page. The ranch called Spears a family friend and fixture there for decades.
“The ranch will never be the same without him but he will always be remembered for his ready smile, kind heart and willingness to go the extra mile for everyone around him,” the post read.
Lynn also mourned Spears’ death on her official Facebook page, saying “there are no words... only tears.”
“He took such good care of things here on the ranch for us,” Lynn wrote. “He’s one of us and the whole Lynn family is heartbroken. Please pray for his precious family and friends.”
Flooding in Humphreys County, home to Lynn’s ranch, has killed 22 people and left dozens more missing, WSMV reported. More than 12 inches of rain fell on parts of middle Tennessee on Saturday, causing catastrophic flooding.
“It’s devastating!” Jon Cody Finger said in an aerial video he shared of the ranch on Facebook. ”So many homes, pets and peoples lives lost today. It’s hard to describe. The entire county is destroyed by this water. People are missing and we will pick back up tomorrow to do everything we can.”
In a series of posts to the Facebook page of her granddaughter, Tayla Lynn, the country star’s family said she had safely escaped the flooding.
“Loretta Lynn Memaw is safe,” Tayla Lynn wrote, using a Southern phrase for “grandma.” “Completely safe and healthy. Our family. All of them are safe. Our people. Our people. Our town. Pray for them. Us. Our Ranch. We’ve been hit pretty hard. Details will come as we get out from under water. For now focus on the people.”
Located in Hurricane Mills, Loretta Lynn’s ranch features a recording studio, museums, lodging, restaurants and western stores.
Loretta Lynn no longer lives at the ranch, which features the mansion where she lived from the late 1960s until 1988, a Tennessee River Valley tourism site says.
”Eventually we’ll rebuild our community, our ranch, our lives and our homes., but only God could build a man like Wayne Spears,” the post on the ranch’s Facebook page said. “There’s just no replacing that.”
Elsewhere in the county, rescuers say they face “catastrophic” conditions.
“People are trapped in their homes and have no way to get out,” NWS Nashville meteorologist Krissy Hurley told The Tennessean. “Water is up to their necks. It is catastrophic — the worst kind of situation.”
This story was originally published August 22, 2021 at 2:20 PM with the headline "Loretta Lynn safe, but foreman dies when swept away at Tennessee ranch hit by floods."