News About the Obama Family That Caught Attention

Barack Obama added that “there was and will be only one Marian Robinson,” and that in their sadness they were “lifted up by the extraordinary gift of her life.”

Born Marian Lois Shields on July 30, 1937, in Chicago, she was the fourth of seven siblings in a family rooted in the South Side community.

She grew up learning the value of hard work and resilience from her parents, who worked as a house painter and carpenter and as a licensed practical nurse.

Marian met her future husband, Fraser Robinson III, on the South Side of Chicago. They married in October 1960 and built a family grounded in love, stability, and commitment.