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November 3rd, 2008 at 9:30 pm

Video: Barack Obama’s Grandmother Dies on Election Eve, Obama’s Remembrance 11-3-08

Barack Obama with grandparents Madelyn Dunham and Stanley Dunham

Democratic Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama’s grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, died on November 3, 2008, the eve of the Presidential election. Watch the video of Obama in North Carolina announcing the death and reflecting upon his grandmother’s remarkable life and influence upon him.

It’s a tragic turn of event, and regrettable that she did not live to see the outcome of the election, and, Obama, no doubt is grateful to have taken the time off from campaigning to see her, as he has spoken publicly of his regret over not seeing his mother before her death.

Our deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers for Barack Obama and his family.

Barack Obama in 1979 with grandparents Madelyn Dunham and Stanley Dunham
Barack Obama with his grandparents and Madelyn Dunham and Stanley Dunham after his high school graduation in 1979. (Photo credit: Obama For America)

According to the Obama campaign, the senator heard news of his grandmother’s death shortly after 8 a.m. in Florida, where he was holding a morning rally.

The campaign released a statement from Obama and his sister Maya Soetoro-Ng this afternoon:

“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. She was the person who encouraged and allowed us to take chances. She was proud of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and left this world with the knowledge that her impact on all of us was meaningful and enduring. Our debt to her is beyond measure.

Barack Obama takes a walk in his old neighborhood during a visit to his grandmother, in October 2008

Barack Obama takes a walk in his old neighborhood during his last visit to his grandmother, in October 2008 (Photo credit: Getty Images)

“Our family wants to thank all of those who sent flowers, cards, well-wishes, and prayers during this difficult time. It brought our grandmother and us great comfort. Our grandmother was a private woman, and we will respect her wish for a small private ceremony to be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you make a donation to any worthy organization in search of a cure for cancer.”

John and Cindy McCain issued a statement of condolence after receiving the news. “We offer our deepest condolences to Barack Obama and his family as they grieve the loss of their beloved grandmother,” they said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to them as they remember and celebrate the life of someone who had such a profound impact in their lives.”

Source: Obama’s Grandmother Dies

Video and Transcript of Obama speaking about his grandmother, in Charlotte, NC, November 3, 2008

No matter what happens tomorrow, I’m going to feel good about how it has turned out because all of you have created this remarkable campaign. She is gone home. And she died peacefully in her sleep, with my sister at her side. And so, there is great joy as well as tears. I’m not going to talk about it too long because it is hard, a little, to talk about.

I want everybody to know though a little bit about her. Her name was Madelyn Dunham. And she was born in Kansas in a small town in 1922. Which means she lived through the Great Depression, she lived through two world wars, she watched her husband go off to war, while she looked after her baby and worked on a bomber assembly line. When her husband came back they benefited from the GI bill, they moved west and eventually ended up in Hawaii.

Barack Obama in Charlotte, North Carolina, speaks about his late grandmother

Barack Obama in Charlotte, North Carolina, speaking about his grandmother (Photo credit: Reuters)

She was somebody who was a very humble person, a very plainspoken person. She is one of those quiet heroes we have all across America, who are not famous, their names are not in the newspapers, but each and every day they work hard. They look after their families.

Barack Obama's mother, grandfather and grandmother, Ann, Stanley and Madelyn Dunham

Barack Obama’s mother, grandfather and grandmother; Ann, Stanley and Madelyn Dunham (Photo credit: Obama For America)

They sacrifice for their children, and their grandchildren. They aren’t seeking the limelight. All they try to do is do the right thing. And in this crowd, there are a lot of quiet heroes like that, people like that, mothers and fathers and grandparents who have worked hard and sacrificed all their lives and the satisfaction that they get is in seeing their children or maybe their grandchildren or their great-grandchildren live a better life than they did. That is what America is about. That is what we are fighting for.

Source: Obama On Grandmother And Campaign: “Bittersweet”