Dolly Parton’s Sister Stella on Why Icon Didn’t Let Fans Know How Sick She Was

Dolly could not bear negative things, and she would not have wanted her fans worried about it. Dolly Parton's younger sister, Stella, explaining why the late country icon kept her cancer battle a secret. She didn't want a lot of the family worried about it. Some of us knew, the ones of us that were closer. But not the whole family knew. Not every relative. When I have a problem, I pray. When it gets to be a worse problem, I pray harder. Stella sitting down exclusively with CBS Mornings anchor Gail Kane, shedding light on Dolly's final days fighting the disease. I'm not ready to die yet. I don't think God is through with me, and I ain't done working. Something she kept private until the very end, when she died last month at 80. She did not want people sad. She'd be really happy and delighted that people have shown her so much love, because she knew that that would make us feel better as her family. Because bottom line, end of the day, her family and Carl's family, and probably Judy's family, are the people that she would want to say, well, see, they, you know, everything I did, you know, they cared. You know, they really, they really loved me. She was very positive and very excited all the time. Very optimistic. So, I mean, how can you find fault with that? Dolly was laid to rest three days after she died in Nashville's Woodlawn Memorial Park in a private, family-only ceremony. Tributes pouring in, like this one from Dolly's niece, Jada Starr, at the Grand Ole Opry. The family tree becomes an orchard calling for us to sing their song. Their memory goes on. Faith and family and how love can bring you together. Because of love, she'll know and everyone will know how much she's always been loved. Gayle's full interview with Stella airs Thursday on CBS Mornings.