Long before Dolly Parton became one of the most recognizable entertainers in the world, the Parton name belonged to a large, hardworking family growing up in the mountains of East Tennessee.
There were 12 children in all — six girls and six boys — born to Robert Lee Parton Sr. and Avie Lee Owens Parton.
And at the beginning of that long line of brothers and sisters was Willadeene Parton, the eldest child.
Her story is very different from Dolly’s.