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Bill, Gloria Gaither to Hold Memorial Service for Joey Feek

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A public memorial service will be held this week for country music singer Joey Feek, who died after a two-year battle fighting cervical cancer.

It will be held Sunday, March 13, at 2:30 p.m. in the Alexandria-Monroe High School gymnasium in her native hometown of Alexandria, Indiana, the Indy Star reports.

The service will be hosted by Bill and Gloria Gaither, gospel musicians and family friends of the Feek's.

"Joey was one of a kind," Bill said. "We all will miss that sweet, transparent spirit."

The Gaither website said, "Rory Feek, his daughters and members of the Martin family will be in attendance, and are exceedingly grateful for this community's outpouring of support throughout Joey's life and most recently during her illness."

Feek was half of country music duo, Joey + Rory, along with her husband Rory.

The couple's new album, "Hymns That Are Important to Us," topped the Billboard country albums chart in addition to the Christian Album chart following its release in mid-February. It was number one on both charts the first week of March around the time of Joey's death.

The Feeks were recently nominated for a Grammy, but lost the award days before her death. They were named the Academy of Country Music Awards' "Top New Vocal Duo" in 2010.

They also had a popular television show called "The Joey and Rory Show" that was suspended when Joey beame ill.

Joey was diagnosed with cervical cancer just weeks after giving birth to her daughter, Indiana, and days after learning their newborn has down syndrome.

She underwent surgical treatment and was declared cancer free, but the disease returned a year later and it couldn't be cured.

Feek died in her family home on March 4. Joey's obituary states that in the days before her death, she said "her greatest hope for her daughter was that she grew up with no fear and that she was able to fall in love, get married, and live independently near her father."

Within days of her passing, her husband Rory began making funeral arrangements, plans he said he "hoped we would never have to make."

The private service will be attended by close family and friends and she will be buried in the family cemetery like she requested.

In his blog titled, "This Life I Live," Rory informed their fans of Joey's death by writing, "My wife's greatest dream came true today. She is in Heaven."

"The cancer is gone, the pain has ceased and all her tears are dry," he continued. "Joey is in the arms of her beloved brother Justin and using her pretty voice to sing for her Savior."

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