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The mother of Oprah Winfrey, Vernita Lee, died at the age of 83 years.
Vernita – who had the television icon with Vernon Winfrey – died last Thursday at Thanksgiving in the United States at her home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but no cause of death has yet been determined.
Vernita – who has worked as a housekeeper all her life – has already been buried at a private burial, according to PEOPLE.
She is survived by Oprah, 64, and her other daughter, Patricia Amanda Faye Lee.
She also leaves her four grandchildren – Alisha Hayes, Chrishaunda Lee Perez, Aquarius Lofton and Andre Brown – and four great-grandchildren – Jaxon Praise Perez, Chai Theresa Perez, Donovan Hayes and Trinity Hayes.
Vernita gave birth to Oprah at the age of 14, shortly after meeting Oprah's father. But she then moved to Milwaukee to become a maid, meaning that the American icon had been raised by her grandmother.
The duo had a distant relationship until later in Oprah's life, and they finally appeared together at Oprah's eponymous talk show in 1990.
Meanwhile, Vernita's son, Jeffrey Lee, died in 1989, while his third daughter, Patricia Lee Lloyd, died in 2003.
During a television interview, Vernita revealed how her faith in God had helped her through the death of her two children.
She shared: "I am a Christian woman and if you are a Christian person, it will help you cope with such situations."
Vernita also said how proud she is of Oprah, who has been away from social media since her mother's death.
She said, "I loved her as she likes people now."
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