Dolly Parton’s younger sister Stella Parton is mourning the death of the country music icon while sharing new insight into the singer’s mindset during her final days.
“My big sister Dolly got her wings this past Tuesday. If anyone gets to heaven, I’m sure she made it right on time,” Stella, 77, said in a statement shared via Instagram on Thursday, August 27, breaking her silence on the singer’s death. “I know she’s showing out big time, in all her sparkles and shine. That was my sister’s way.”
Us confirmed that Dolly died on Tuesday, August 25, after a brief battle with an undisclosed form of cancer.
“Every Tuesday about this time, before the sun came up and the world was still asleep, she and I, for many years, had our coffee together over the phone,” Stella recalled. “Being little farm girls, we continued to be early risers. As she liked to say, ‘Shoot Tedda, we get more work done before the sun comes up than most folks do all day long!’ We would catch up on gossip, as sisters do, and drink coffee and make plans, as it has always been our way.”
She continued, “My sister was one of the most generous, thoughtful and kind people I’ve ever known. What the world saw is exactly who she was, so much so, she told me recently that their was no hope for her, she would still allow her medical team to try experimental drugs in the hope of helping others in the future.”
According to Stella, the 9 to 5 actress was “always thinking of others” during her illustrious and culture-defining career.
“If you want to honor her legacy, show more kindness, lift others up and give more of your time and resources, as she continued to do to the very end,” Stella added in her Thursday statement. “I want to personally thank all of you for the outpouring of love and respect you are showing my sister. Your love and respect for her is deeply felt by all of us who loved her first, and it helps as we grieve the passing through our lives.”
While Stella noted that her Tuesday morning coffee ritual “will never be the same” in Dolly’s absence, she will always remember the Dollywood founder’s “love, respect and goodness.”
“Dolly loved the world and everyone in it. I would criticize and complain about it and she would laugh and say, ‘Shoot, Tedda, we’ve got more important things to do than worry about their silly asses,’” Stella recalled. “She was right and she proved it every day. She left the world a better place by being in it, so let’s follow her example.”
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