Pioneer Woman fans in tears as Ree Drummond reveals tragic death of family member in heartfelt post
PIONEER Woman Ree Drummond has fans in tears after revealing the loss of a family member in a heartbreaking post.
On Wednesday, the Food Network star took to Instagram to share that her sweet beagle dog, Walter, passed away.
Ree, 54, included a slideshow of photos of her furry friend with her family on their massive Oklahoma property.
She wrote a sweet message for the beloved canine in her caption: "Goodbye, sweet wonderful Walter. I’m going to bed early so I can turn off these tears and instead dream sweet memories of you, the most loving loyal pure-hearted doggie our family has ever known. Go find your brother Charlie and have some fun, ol’ boy."
Fans flooded the comments section to share their condolences for the TV star.
One person wrote: "So sorry about your loss… what a beautiful life!"
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Another added: "I am so so sorry this took my breath away he was so loved and you certainly gave him a great life."
A third said: "I’m so sorry to hear this Saying goodbye to our four-legged soulmates is so very difficult!"
And a final chimed in: "Oh, not Walter! This breaks my heart for you all."
HEARTBREAKING LOSS
Ree has had more than her fair share of tragedies in recent years.
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In November 2021, her brother, Michael Smith, died suddenly at the age of 54.
The food writer penned a devastating tribute to her late sibling on Facebook while sharing a slew of old and recent photos of them together.
She wrote: "It isn’t possible to sum up the life of someone as perfectly wonderful as my brother Michael, so right now I won’t try.
"He was seventeen months older than me, my first friend and buddy, and I’m so grateful for over 50 years of photos and memories.
"Please pray for my parents, whose devotion to Mike was boundless, and who will feel this loss most acutely. Michael Smith, you were everything."
It is unclear how Michael died.
CAR ACCIDENT
Months earlier, Ree faced another scary ordeal when her husband, Ladd, and their nephew Caleb, were involved in a terrifying car accident.
The incident occurred at the family’s ranch as Caleb and Ladd battled a grass fire on the property.
First responders said the crash happened as Ladd was traveling northbound and Caleb was driving southbound, as neither had visibility due to high winds.
Law enforcement said the hard impact ejected Ree's nephew 70 feet from the truck, and he was rushed to hospital in critical condition.
Ladd broke his neck and had to wear a brace, while Caleb - then 21 years old - suffered a few broken ribs and a severe concussion.
Ree said on her blog at the time: "Rather than wish the accident didn't happen, I'm gonna live in a state of gratitude - not just for the guys being okay, but also for the love, kindness, and prayers of so many of you."
MORE HEARTACHE
Ree experienced more heartache a year earlier, in 2018, when her mother-in-law Nan died at 74.
Nan, who was Ladd's mother, passed away on May 24 in Pawshuka, Oklahoma.
TV chef Ree said at the time: “It’s a difficult loss for our family, as she was such a rock for all of us.
"We all had some time to prepare for this, thought I’ve found over the course of the past few days that nothing really prepares you for losing someone who is so much a part of the fabric of your family’s daily life.”
In her cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cook The New Frontier, she admitted that she was still reeling from the devastating family tragedy.
“She was a grandmother, mother, mother-in-law, and good friend,” Ree wrote in 2019.
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"Her death was a new territory our family wasn’t prepared for, and we have learned to cling to memories and traditions, both in and out of the kitchen,” she penned, adding her death has been a “difficult adjustment for all of us."
Ree and Ladd are parents to five children: Alex, Paige, Bryce, Jamar, and Todd.
