Rory Feek, Indiana Feek Get A Standing Ovation During Public Memorial Service For Joey Feek

Rory Feek and youngest daughter Indiana Feek were warmly received by mourning fans in Alexandria, Indiana. The duo showed up at a local high school to attend a public memorial service held on Sunday for Joey Feek, who was from the area.

According to People magazine, fans gathered in the gymnasium of the high school, which Joey, 40 at the time of her death, attended in her formative years. Rory, 49, and Indiana, 2, joined the public at the ceremony. The publication reports that they were greeted with a standing ovation. When the memorial began, those gathered in the high school gym sang some of Joey’s favorite songs, including “Lean On Me,” and listened to Rory, Joey’s sisters and some of her former teachers and coaches reminisce about her time on earth.

It’s been an emotional few days for Rory. On Sunday he penned a blog post about Joey’s farmhouse burial. The piece, titled “Dust to Dust,” detailed Joey’s funeral, revealing to readers that the intimate ceremony consisted of only close “friends and family.” He went on to say that on that day he bid farewell to “the greatest person.” Although the funeral was small, it did include a musical guest. According to Rory’s post, the Isaacs were invited to perform “It Is Well with My Soul.” In the song, singer Bill Gaither discussed “swans and deer and the sweet girl who looked out the window from her hospital bed and saw the beauty in life and also in death.”

Rory isn’t the only one struggling to come to terms with Joey’s death. On March 11, Joey’s manager released a statement to Us Weekly, sharing with fans that she was with those she loved most when she died. He added that she had been fighting Stage 4 cervical cancer for several months. Her rep said that with her inspiring stories and “beautiful voice,” Joey was able to touch the lives of many, “even strangers.”