Mindy McCready was laid to rest in her hometown of Fort Myers, Florida, yesterday, The Associated Press reports. Around 200 of McCready's family and friends gathered at Crossroads Baptist Church, which displayed a large screen behind the altar that displayed images of the late country singer. McCready's family reflected on the troubled 37-year-old, who was found dead on February 17th of what an autopsy determined was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
"Our Mindy was so tired. She felt helpless," said McCready's mother, Gaye Inge. "She was in her darkest moment and she was hurt by so many allegations. She was too emotional to understand." But Inge also found some peace, saying, "Her spirit found healing on the other side."
Mindy McCready: A Look At Her Troubled, Too-Short Timeline
McCready left behind two sons, but the family declined to address any custody issues at the ceremony. "She wanted them to know that nothing, not even death, could separate her from them," said Inge.
McCready landed her first Number One hit in 1996 at age 20 with "Guys Do It All the Time." She released Ten Thousand Angels that year, racking up two million in sales for the album, but alcohol, drug and legal problems derailed her career.
In 2004, she fought a custody battle with Inge over one of her sons and was arrested for fraudulently obtaining OxyContin. She was arrested the following year on a drunk driving charge, and appeared on Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew in 2010. McCready had entered rehab earlier this month. Her boyfriend, David Wilson, the father of her younger son, was discovered after another apparent suicide in January.
This article originally appeared on Rolling Stone: Mindy McCready Remembered at Florida Funeral
