Obama's grandmother dies of cancer in Hawaii (Roundup)

Nov 3, 2008, 21:19 GMT

Washington - Barack Obama's grandmother, who helped raise the Democratic presidential candidate in Hawaii, passed away Monday after a prolonged battle with cancer.

Madelyn Dunham, 86, had been gravely ill for weeks, prompting Obama to interrupt his election campaign for a few days last month to visit her in Honolulu, Hawaii.

'She was the cornerstone of our family and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength and humility,' read a statement from Obama and his half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng. 'Our debt to her is beyond measure.'

The news of Dunham's passing comes just one day before the US presidential election, which has Obama holding a significant lead over Republican rival John McCain. Obama was not expected to interrupt his last-minute campaigning and was to appear at a North Carolina rally later Monday.

Obama has often paid tribute to his maternal grandmother and mentioned Dunham's strong influence on him when he accepted the Democratic nomination in September.

Obama and his sister thanked supporters for 'flowers, cards, well- wishes and prayers' since news of her illness broke and asked for Americans to donate to cancer charities. Dunham died 'peacefully,' the statement said.

Obama was born in Hawaii to a Kenyan father and white mother from Kansas, who were both studying in Honolulu at the time. His parents divorced soon after and Obama moved with his mother to Indonesia. She sent him back to Hawaii at age 10 to live with his grandparents, where he remained through his teenage years.

'My mother was a single mom, so she raised me with the help of my grandparents. And so my grandmother, my grandfather, my mom, they're really the people who - who took care of me all throughout my childhood,' he said during his visit to Hawaii on October 24.