As the world mourns Dolly Parton, it’s her family and inner circle that is hurting the most. Parton was 1 of 12 children, and 5 of her siblings, Larry, Randy, Floyd, David, and Coy, passed before she did. One of her surviving sisters, Stella, took to Facebook to share a statement, revealing new details about her life.
Stella shared an emotional tribute on Facebook Thursday, revealing that she and Dolly had a special Tuesday-morning tradition for years. They woke up before sunrise, made coffee and caught up over the phone.
“My big sister Dolly got her wings this past Tuesday,” Stella wrote. “If anyone gets to heaven, I’m sure she made it right on time.”
Stella imagined her sister arriving in heaven exactly as she lived on earth, with plenty of sparkle. “I know she’s showing out big time, in all her sparkles and shine,” she wrote. “That was my sister’s way.”
For Stella, Dolly was never simply the superstar the world knew. She was the older sister on the other end of a phone call, sharing gossip, making plans and drinking coffee with her little sister.
© Getty“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 wrote. “Being little farm girls we’ve continued to be early risers.”
Stella recalled one of Dolly’s favorite sayings about their early-morning conversations: “Shoot, Tedda, we get more work done before the sun comes up than most folks do all day long!”
Stella said that the person Dolly was privately was the same person fans saw publicly, describing her as “one of the most generous, thoughtful and kind people I’ve ever known.” “What the world saw is exactly who she was,” Stella wrote.
© GettyShe also shared an interesting detail about Dolly’s final days. According to Stella, Dolly recently told her that even if doctors believed there was no hope for her, she would still be willing to let her medical team try experimental drugs if it could potentially help other people in the future. “My sister was always thinking of others,” Stella wrote.
Stella encouraged fans who want to honor Dolly to follow that same example by being kinder, lifting others, and giving their time and resources to help others.
That generosity was something Dolly herself frequently emphasized when talking about her family and upbringing. Her sisters have remained part of the story of the woman behind the superstar, from their childhood in Tennessee to the family relationships that Dolly continued to treasure throughout her career.
© Getty“My Tuesday morning coffee time will never be the same, but her love, respect and goodness will remain,” she wrote. And even in grief, Stella recalled the humor that was so characteristic of her sister. “Dolly loved the world and everyone in it,” she wrote.
“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,” she wrote. “She was right, and she proved it every day.”
© GettyAlong with Stella, Dolly is survived by her siblings Willadeene, Robert Jr., Stella, Cassie, and twins Freida and Rachel.
