Stella Parton is opening up about her late sister Dolly Parton's quiet battle with cancer.
The younger Parton, 77, said that the country legend kept her cancer battle private because she didn't want to worry the public, comments previously echoed by her niece, Jada Star.
"She did not want people sad," Stella Parton told "CBS Mornings" cohost Gayle King in an interview released Wednesday, Sept. 9. "She'd be really happy and delighted that people have shown her so much love."
Stella Parton added that not everyone in the family was aware of her cancer diagnosis.
"Some of us knew, the ones of us that were closer," she continued. "Dolly could not bear negative things. And she would not have wanted her fans worried about it."
The beloved cultural icon
and "Queen of Country" died Aug. 25 at 80, surrounded by loved ones at a Nashville medical center after briefly battling cancer, her representatives confirmed to USA TODAY. The family has not publicly confirmed what type of cancer Parton had, or how long she was sick.
Parton's death came after multiple concert cancellations and missed appearances amid medical issues, which included problems with her immune and digestive systems over the years.
The family privately laid her to rest on Saturday, Aug. 29, her niece Lainey Mae Parton revealed in a tribute.
Richie Owens, Parton's cousin and former musical collaborator, later told the "Today" show only a few family members were in attendance, which he characterized as a "burial" rather than a funeral.
Owens said the service was kept private out of respect for Parton's wishes and "not for any bad reasons whatsoever," adding that the singer preferred for fans to pay tribute to her by donating to her various charities, including her children's literacy program that gifts free books to kids from birth to age 5.
"She would much rather see people take that $50 they were going to spend on flowers and give it to her Imagination Library," Owens said. "She said that many, many times. She really cared about her charities."
Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dolly Parton's sister Stella says only some family knew about cancer battle
