Lolo Soetoro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lolo Soetoro
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| Born | 2 January 1935 |
| Died | 2 March 1987 (aged 52) Jakarta, Indonesia
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| Education | Gadjah Mada University (BA) University of Hawaii, Manoa (MA) |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | Barack Obama (stepson) Maya Soetoro-Ng (b. 1970) Yusuf Aji (b. 1981) Rahayu Nurmaida (b. 1984) |
Lolo Soetoro was an Indonesian geographer. He is best known as the stepfather of Barack Obama, who later became the 44th president of the United States. Lolo Soetoro was born on January 2, 1935, and passed away on March 2, 1987.
Early Life and Education
Lolo Soetoro was born in Bandung, which is now part of Indonesia. He was one of ten children. His father worked in a mining office.
Soetoro studied geography at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. He earned his bachelor's degree there. In 1962, he received a special grant. This grant allowed him to study geography at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in the United States. He arrived in Hawaii in September 1962. He completed his master's degree in geography in June 1964.
Marriage to Ann Dunham
While studying at the University of Hawaii, Soetoro met Ann Dunham. She was also a student there. They got married on March 15, 1965.
In 1966, Soetoro returned to Indonesia. He worked as a geographer, helping to map Western New Guinea for the Indonesian government. Ann Dunham and her son, Barack Obama, stayed in Hawaii. They lived with Ann's parents while she finished her studies.
In 1967, Ann Dunham and six-year-old Barack joined Soetoro in Jakarta, Indonesia. The family lived in a simple house. Barack attended a local Catholic school.
In 1970, Soetoro got a new job. He worked in government relations for a company called Union Oil. The family moved to a new rented house. Barack then attended the Besuki School.
On August 15, 1970, Lolo Soetoro and Ann Dunham had a daughter. Her name was Maya Soetoro-Ng.
In mid-1971, Barack Obama moved back to Hawaii. He went to Punahou School there. In 1972, Ann Dunham and Maya joined Barack in Hawaii. Ann started her graduate studies again at the University of Hawaii. She earned her master's degree in anthropology in 1974. Ann and Maya returned to Jakarta in 1975, but Barack stayed in Hawaii.
Over time, Ann became more interested in Indonesian culture. Soetoro, however, became more interested in Western culture. Their different interests caused problems in their relationship. They divorced on November 6, 1980.
In his book Dreams from My Father, Barack Obama described his stepfather. He said Soetoro was polite and easy to get along with. Obama also wrote about the challenges Soetoro faced after returning to Indonesia.
Later Life
After his divorce from Ann Dunham, Lolo Soetoro married Erna Kustina in 1980. They had two children together. Their son, Yusuf Aji Soetoro, was born in 1981. Their daughter, Rahayu Nurmaida Soetoro, was born in 1984.
Lolo Soetoro passed away on March 2, 1987, at the age of 52. He died from liver failure. He was buried in Tanah Kusir Cemetery in South Jakarta.
