Senator Barack Obama’s ailing maternal grandmother passed away of cancer on November 3 in Hawaii. The senator took a couple days off of the presidential campaign trial to visit her just last week. Senator Obama and his sister Maya Soetoro-Ng issued a joint statement about their grandmother’s passing. “It is with great sadness that we announce that our grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has died peacefully after a battle with cancer. She was the cornerstone of our family, and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength, and humility.”
Dunhman was deluged with over 1,000 get-well cards from all over the country during her illness after Sentaor Obama announced that her health was failing. Along with her husband, Dunham raised Obama while his mother worked in Indonesia. The presidential hopeful credits her with helping to shape him into the person he is today. In lieu of flowers, Senator Obama requests that sympathizers donate money to worthy organizations that seek to cure cancer. A small private ceremony will be held at a later date.