Benediction by Kent Haruf

"Dad" Lewis runs the hardware store in tiny Holt, Colorado. He's one of the town's upstanding citizens--and he just received a diagnosis of terminal cancer. Benediction tells the story of his final days. As friends and neighbors come to pay their last respects, we learn more about his life and the lives of some of the other townfolk, including the new (and very controversial) minister and Dad's estranged son, Frank.

Benediction is not exactly a sequel to the wonderful Plainsong, but it is set in the same town and we do get a brief update on the main characters from that story. It's a sad story, but one that's told well.