Dolly Parton's Niece Misses Her 4 AM Calls After Death

Dolly Parton's niece says one of the things she'll miss most about the country legend is getting calls from her at 4 AM.

Lainey Parton shared an emotional tribute to Instagram after Dolly was laid to rest ... saying it still doesn't feel real she's gone and she'd give anything to see her name pop up on her phone again.

Lainey wrote ... "I'm even going to miss those 4 AM calls."

She also opened up about how close they were, saying Dolly -- who never had children of her own -- made her nieces and nephews feel like they were hers.

Growing up, Dolly always made Lainey feel like she was enough and never made her dreams seem too big.

And that support went beyond words ... Dolly financially supported her through beauty school and helped get her career started.

She also recalled being a nervous freshman in high school when Dolly asked her to sing on her "Smoky Mountain DNA" album ... saying Dolly made her feel safe, confident and like she belonged beside her.

As TMZ previously reported ... Dolly's loved ones gathered Friday at her Nashville burial site alongside her late husband, Carl Dean.