Lolo Soetoro

Infobox_Person


image_size = 150px
name = Lolo Soetoro
imagesize =
caption =
birth_name =
birth_date = c. 1936
birth_place =
death_date = January 1987
death_place =
death_cause =
alma_mater = University of Hawaii at Manoa
employer = Government of Indonesia;
Mobil Oil Corporation
occupation = Geologist
nationality = Indonesian
religion = Muslim
spouse = Ann Dunham
(married c. 1966–1980)
partner =
children = Maya Soetoro-Ng

Lolo Soetoro (c. 1936–1987) was the stepfather of Illinois Senator Barack Obama, the 2008 Democratic candidate for President of the United States. He was a native of Indonesia.

During the Indonesian National Revolution (c. 1946) when Indonesia won independence from the Dutch, Soetoro's father and eldest brother were killed, after which the Dutch army burned down the family's home. Soetoro fled with his mother into the countryside to survive.Obama, "Dreams from my Father", 2004, p. 42.]

He met Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, when they were both students at the University of Hawaii.cite news |title=The Story of Barack Obama's Mother |last=Ripley |first=Amanda |url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1729524-4,00.html |work=Time |date=2008-04-09 |pages=4 |accessdate=2008-06-17] Around 1966 Soetoro and Dunham married and Soetoro returned to Indonesia when it called home its citizens who were studying abroad. About a year later, Dunham and her six-year-old son Barack Obama followed Soetoro back to Indonesia, where the family took up residence in Menteng Dalam, Jakarta. [ [http://old.thejakartapost.com/weekender/6reporter.asp "Obama’s Jakarta Trail", thejakartapost.com] ] [http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=ae5895fc29971b172938790be94ab107 "Secrets of Obama Family Unlocked", New America Media.] ] In 1970 Soetoro and Dunham had a daughter, Maya Kassandra Soetoro-Ng (born Maya Soetoro).

After returning to Indonesia, Soetoro first worked for the army as a geologist and then took a job as a government relations consultant with Mobil Oil. [Obama, "Dreams from my Father", 2004, p. 43.] cite news | first = Paul | last = Watson| title = As a child, Obama crossed a cultural divide in Indonesia | url = http://articles.latimes.com/2007/mar/15/nation/na-obama15 | publisher = "Los Angeles Times" | date = 2007-03-15 | accessdate = 2008-06-21] Obama describes Soetoro as well-mannered, even-tempered, and easy with people. He writes that Soetoro was physically short, good looking, and brown with black hair. He describes the struggles he perceived Soetoro had to deal with after he returned to Indonesia from Hawaii. [Obama, "Dreams from my Father", 2004, pp. 30-31.]

During their years together in Indonesia, Dunham became increasingly interested in the country's culture, while Soetoro became more Western in his outlook. Ann Dunham left Soetoro in 1972, returning to Hawaii and reuniting with her son, who had returned from Indonesia in 1971 to attend school. Soetoro and Dunham saw each other periodically in the 1970s but did not live together again. [cite news|title=A Free-Spirited Wanderer Who Set Obama’s Path|last=Scott|first=Janny|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/us/politics/14obama.html?pagewanted=print|date=2008-03-14|accessdate=2008-06-18] They were divorced in 1980.

According to a 2007 Chicago Tribune article, "Soetoro was much more of a free spirit than a devout Muslim, according to former friends and neighbors." [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0703250340mar25,0,4122936.story] Soetoro was Muslim; [cite news |title=Indonesians reflect with pride on Obama nomination | url=http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed2/idUSJAK12614720080605 | |last=Nathalia |first=Telly |work=Reuters |date=2008-06-05 |] in a general way. Islam is the religion of a majority of Indonesians. His wife, however, did not hold the same beliefs.

According to his nephew, Lolo "loved drinking, was a smart and warm person, the naughtiest one in the family." [cite news |title=History of schooling distorted |last=Barker |first=Kim |date=2007-03-25 |work=Chicago Tribune | url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0703250340mar25,0,4122936.story] Soetoro died of a liver ailment in 1987 at age 51.http://www.suntimes.com/images/cds/MP3/obamatree.pdf] [cite news |title=Lolo Soetoro |last=Fornek |first=Scott |date=2007-09-09 |work=Chicago Sun-Times | url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/familytree/545455,BSX-News-wotreegg09.stng]

Notes

References

*cite book|last=Obama|first=Barack|title=|publisher=Three Rivers Press|year=2004|id=ISBN 1-4000-8277-3