Obama Says Goodbye To 'Toot'Presidential Candidate Spends Day With Grandmother
Friends, Family Remember Obama's Grandmother
POSTED: 10:26 pm HST November 3, 2008
UPDATED: 10:58 pm HST November 3, 2008
HONOLULU -- A campaign spokesman said Madelyn Dunham died at about 3 a.m. Hawaii time Monday, in her apartment with granddaughter Maya Soetoro-Ng at her side.
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"She passed away peacefully. She passed away knowing that he was in the lead, that the early voting was indicating that he was doing very well," Congressman Neil Abercrombie said.
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Abercrombie, Obama's honorary campaign chairman in Hawaii, became emotional as he talked about the bond between Sen. Barack Obama and his grandmother.
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"So she gave him everything. And he's aware of that. And I'm sure that that's going to give him strength tomorrow, that's going to give him strength," Abercrombie said.
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Rep. Mazie Hirono said Dunham was an inspiring supervisor in Hirono's first job after she graduated from college.
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"Oh, I was just a young thing. I was in my early 20s and I had signed up for temp agency work and they called me at bank of Hawaii," Hirono said.
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That's where Madelyn Dunham was a vice president, one of the first women bank vice presidents in Hawaii.
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"Madelyn definitely was one of those people who, through sheer determination and hard work, got to where she got to, and I think that shows very much in Sen. Obama," Hirono said.
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In lieu of flowers, Obama's family asked people to donate to worthy organizations searching for a cure for cancer.
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Obama Says Goodbye To 'Toot'
Presidential Candidate Spends Day With Grandmother
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HONOLULU -- Sen. Barack Obama on Friday afternoon left Hawaii where he visited his gravely ill grandmother, Honolulu resident Madelyn Dunham, after spending time with her.
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Obama's 85-year-old grandmother is suffering from cancer and recovering from a broken hip, sources told KITV. She celebrates her 86's birthday Sunday.
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Obama arrived at "Toot's" (short for tutu, or grandmother) Beretania Street apartment at about 8:15 a.m. with a motorcade from a Hyatt Waikiki Hotel where he stayed overnight. He was scheduled to spend the day there before leaving in the evening for the mainland.
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Out front of the apartment building a small crowd of well-wishers gathered. Many had gifts.
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One woman brought carved wood flowers made into lei for Obama, his sister Maya Soetoro-Ng and their grandmother.
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"Let's pray and hope she can make it to the election and see her beloved grandson elected president -- the first African-American president of the United States," Vicky Bates said.
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A couple that lived in the building next door said they were surprised to spot the Democratic presidential candidate strolling along on Young Street. He was walking alone, but Secret Service agents were not too far away.
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"I went down the road and I saw Barack walking past Times (Supermarket), and I said, 'Oh my gosh,'" Makiki resident Janet Coehlo said.
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"Everybody was screaming and running and I looked out of the window 'What is going on?' I had no idea and they said, 'Barack, Barack is here. Obama is here,'" Makiki resident Josef Werner said.
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Shortly after 1 p.m. the Obama entourage left the Beretania Street high-rise bound for Waikiki. Obama ate lunch at the Waikiki Hyatt Regency Hotel, where he spent the night.
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The motorcade returned to the Makiki apartment at about 2:30 p.m. for a final goodbye to the woman Obama affectionally calls "Toots," short for tutu, or grandmother in Hawaiian.
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Dunham turns 86 on Sunday.
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He is scheduled to appear in Reno, Nev. on Saturday.
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Obama arrived Thursday night and spent an hour with his grandmother before going to Waikiki.
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Friends said Obama's urgency to get here could be fueled by one of his greatest regrets. That is not being in Hawaii for the death of his mother, Ann Dunham, who died at age 52 of ovarian cancer.
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He said he did not want to make the same mistake twice.
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"One of the things I wanted to have a chance to sit down with her and talk to her. She's still alert and she still has all the faculties and I wanted to make sure that I don't miss that opportunity right now," Obama told ABC's "Good Morning America" before he left for the islands.
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Obama's senior advisor Robert Gibbs said Obama's grandmother is tremendously important to him. Dunham and her husband, Stanley, raised Obama in a Beretania Street apartment.
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"She's gravely ill. We weren't sure and I'm still not sure she'll make it to Election Day. We're all praying and we hope she does," Obama told "GMA."
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The senator did not have any campaign events scheduled for Hawaii.
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Political historians said it is the first time ever a presidential candidate has left the campaign trail so close to Election Day.
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Obama's 85-year-old grandmother is suffering from cancer and recovering from a broken hip, a source told KITV. She celebrates her 86th birthday Sunday.
Westboro Baptist Church Plans Protest at Obama's Grandmother's Funeral
by Rob Walker | November 6, 2008 at 12:35 pm | 9215 views | 55 comments | 6 recommendations
Barack Obama's Grandmother, who died just before she got to see her grandson become the first black president of the United States, will have a private burial, said the family earlier in the week.
The location and date of the funeral will likely go undisclosed.
That doesn't seem to stop the geniuses over at the Westboro Baptist church, famous for protesting at soldier's funerals, who have announced they will try to protest at Obama's grandmother's funeral as well.
I won't post the link to it since the whole thing stinks, but here's a quote from their release.
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HONOLULU -- Sen. Barack Obama on Friday afternoon left Hawaii where he visited his gravely ill grandmother, Honolulu resident Madelyn Dunham, after spending time with her.
Obama's 85-year-old grandmother is suffering from cancer and recovering from a broken hip, sources told KITV. She celebrates her 86's birthday Sunday.
Obama arrived at "Toot's" (short for tutu, or grandmother) Beretania Street apartment at about 8:15 a.m. with a motorcade from a Hyatt Waikiki Hotel where he stayed overnight. He was scheduled to spend the day there before leaving in the evening for the mainland.
Out front of the apartment building a small crowd of well-wishers gathered. Many had gifts.
One woman brought carved wood flowers made into lei for Obama, his sister Maya Soetoro-Ng and their grandmother.
�
"Let's pray and hope she can make it to the election and see her beloved grandson elected president -- the first African-American president of the United States," Vicky Bates said.
�
A couple that lived in the building next door said they were surprised to spot the Democratic presidential candidate strolling along on Young Street. He was walking alone, but Secret Service agents were not too far away.
�
"I went down the road and I saw Barack walking past Times (Supermarket), and I said, 'Oh my gosh,'" Makiki resident Janet Coehlo said.
�
"Everybody was screaming and running and I looked out of the window 'What is going on?' I had no idea and they said, 'Barack, Barack is here. Obama is here,'" Makiki resident Josef Werner said.
�
Shortly after 1 p.m. the Obama entourage left the Beretania Street high-rise bound for Waikiki. Obama ate lunch at the Waikiki Hyatt Regency Hotel, where he spent the night.
�
The motorcade returned to the Makiki apartment at about 2:30 p.m. for a final goodbye to the woman Obama affectionally calls "Toots," short for tutu, or grandmother in Hawaiian.
�
Dunham turns 86 on Sunday.
�
He is scheduled to appear in Reno, Nev. on Saturday.
�
Obama arrived Thursday night and spent an hour with his grandmother before going to Waikiki.
�
Friends said Obama's urgency to get here could be fueled by one of his greatest regrets. That is not being in Hawaii for the death of his mother, Ann Dunham, who died at age 52 of ovarian cancer.
�
He said he did not want to make the same mistake twice.
�
"One of the things I wanted to have a chance to sit down with her and talk to her. She's still alert and she still has all the faculties and I wanted to make sure that I don't miss that opportunity right now," Obama told ABC's "Good Morning America" before he left for the islands.
�
Obama's senior advisor Robert Gibbs said Obama's grandmother is tremendously important to him. Dunham and her husband, Stanley, raised Obama in a Beretania Street apartment.
�
"She's gravely ill. We weren't sure and I'm still not sure she'll make it to Election Day. We're all praying and we hope she does," Obama told "GMA."
�
The senator did not have any campaign events scheduled for Hawaii.
�
Political historians said it is the first time ever a presidential candidate has left the campaign trail so close to Election Day.
�
Obama's 85-year-old grandmother is suffering from cancer and recovering from a broken hip, a source told KITV. She celebrates her 86th birthday Sunday.
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