America's First Granny: Marian Shields Robinson

A look into the life of the Grandother-in-Chief Marian Robinson – things you probably didn't know.

The Pillar - Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Shields Robinson, has been called the cornerstone of the Obama family. She was the pillar of Barack Obama's presidential campaign, and yet she did not raise money, plot strategy, lead conference calls, or carry a BlackBerry, which, in her day, was an unassuming fruit that grew on bushes.
A Grandmother's Love - Robinson, who is the only surviving grandparent of Malia, 10, and Sasha Obama, 7, retired from her job as a bank executive secretary, during Obama's campaign, to make sure her granddaughters got the care that only a grandmother could give.
Independent Woman - She lives off a pension from her late husband's job as a "stationary fireman" who tended to boilers at Chicago's water-filtration plant. Fraser Robinson died in his mid-50s in 1991, the year before Barack and Michelle Obama were married.
Her Move to D.C. - In January 2009, the 71-year-old "First Granny" moved into the White House to assume her role as "grandma-in-chief." However, the move is reportedly temporary. Robinson told PEOPLE , "I love those people, but I love my own house. The White House reminds me of a museum and it's like, how do you sleep in a museum?"Easing the Transition - President Obama said the support that his mother-in-law provides has helped the family survive his transition to national politics.

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A Grandmother's Love - Robinson, who is the only surviving grandparent of Malia, 10, and Sasha Obama, 7, retired from her job as a bank executive secretary, during Obama's campaign, to make sure her granddaughters got the care that only a grandmother could give.

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