Mary Messina, the mother of country music artist Jo Dee Messina, passed away on Sun., April 19, which prompted her famous daughter to share a moving, faith-filled eulogy and slide show on Instagram.
"God knew exactly what He was doing when He made me my mother's daughter," Jo Dee Messina wrote. "She loved me perfectly in a way that only she could do. She was my encouragement and she believed in me at times when no one else did. She understood the way I thought and she understood the way I felt. What a blessing she was to me, my entire life."
Vincent and Mary Messina raised Jo Dee and her siblings, sisters Terese and Marianne and brother Vincent, in Framingham, Massachusetts.
Jo Dee did not share her mother's cause of death or funeral home arrangements, which likely will be complicated by the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Instead, she spoke of the faith that bound together family members and loved ones.
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"This morning my mother went home to be with The Lord," Jo Dee wrote on Instagram. "While we are tending to what needs to be done, she is entrenched in God's glory. She is reunited with her family and my mother gets to gaze at the face of Jesus. Wow!
"Thank you to those of you who supported my mother over the years," she continued. "For those who loved her and showed her kindness, thank you so much! She loved you and enjoyed the moments she got to share with you. Your kindness and enthusiasm made her heart full. I am grateful to you for giving her that gift. Here is a little something my mother used to tell me: 'There is a string that ties your heart to mine. It is a string that can never be broken. There is no distance too far - not even death can break the string that ties my heart to yours....' I love you, Mama! I'll see ya soon."
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