Reba McEntire Shares New Photo of Late Mom Jacqueline: ‘The Last Fish Mama Caught’

Reba McEntire‘s mother, Jacqueline Smith, died on March 14, and the country star remembered her mom in a sweet Instagram post on Sunday when she shared a photo of Smith standing next to a lake, smiling as she held a fish in her hand. McEntire explained that she had received the photo in a text from her brother, Pake, who realized that the image may have captured the last time Smith went fishing before she died.

“Happiness is getting a morning text from Pake saying, ‘This could have been the last fish Mama caught,’” McEntire wrote in her caption. “#loveourmama #fishinginheaven.”

McEntire, Pake, their sisters Alice and Susie and other members of their family recently gathered for Smith’s funeral, which was postponed after her death due to the coronravirus. On March 31, McEntire shared a series of photos from the day, including a snap of the flowers, two photos of the family standing around Smith’s casket and a shot of herself standing outside between two tall trees. The country star began her slideshow with a a photo of herself and her mom standing back to back in a dressing room, smiling as they pointed at each other with their thumbs.

“This is us always having each other’s backs,” McEntire wrote. “Tight knit family. She taught us that. #mama.”

McEntire shared the news of her mom’s death on March 14 with a photo remembering Smith and a photo of Smith and her four children laughing together.

“Our Mother, Jacqueline McEntire, made that wonderful cross over into Heaven today,” the singer wrote. “She had a wonderful, full, healthy life and was absolutely ready to go. The cancer might think it won the battle but we’re giving God all the credit on selecting the time for her to go home to Him. She was ready to see our Daddy, her mama and daddy and all her family and friends.

“Down here, Alice, Pake, Susie and I, grandkids and great grandkids all got to visit with her either in person or over the phone,” she continued. “She left knowing how much she is loved and we all know how much she loved us. We are very thankful for all the prayers, cards, calls, visits, the care-givers with their huge hearts, and the time God gave us with Mama.”