They met in Wichita as war broke out in Europe, then eloped, according to the 2004

re-release of Obama’s 1996 autobiography, “Dreams from My Father.” Stanley Dunham joined the Army after Pearl Harbor was bombed, and Madelyn Dunham went to work at Boeing.

Their daughter Stanley Ann, Obama’s mother, was born at Fort Leavenworth.

The family lived briefly in El Dorado when she was about 8 years old - just in the year 1955, said Lisa Cooley, curator of education and research librarian for the Butler County History Center.

Stanley Dunham managed the Farm and Home Store at 142 N. Main, a large brick building being converted into retail and office space. The family lived in a house at 1434 West Olive before moving to Seattle, where Dunham sold furniture, Cooley said.

Grandfather’s history

Stanley Dunham apparently had come to El Dorado as a boy to live with his mother’s parents after his mother, Ruth Armour Dunham, died in 1926 in Topeka, Cooley said. Ruth is buried in Sunset Lawn Cemetery in El Dorado.

Cooley is trying to compile a more detailed history of the family, but large chunks are missing. One sidelight: Ruth’s sister, Doris Armour, was a Miss El Dorado during one of the city’s corn carnivals, a three-day celebrat ion held annually between 1911 and 1929 that brought as many as 70,000 people to town.

“From what I understand of Stanley, he was really quiet,” Cooley said. “I’m sure he had friends, but I don’t know if he created long-lasting friends or relationships.”

Kerns, 90, attended high school with Stanley Dunham and said he was a nice guy, a “run of-the-mill” kid who didn’t participate in sports or join clubs.

Next to Stanley Dunham’s photo in the 1936 high school yearbook is just one phrase: “A loyal member of the Class of ‘36.”

During his speech, Obama joked with Kerns, the class historian, that he appreciated Kerns not talking about how his grandfather always got in trouble in high school. But, Kerns said, Stanley Dunham wasn’t worse than any other high school kid.

“It was just high school stuff. He wasn’t ever any real trouble,” Kerns said.

Stanley Dunham took the family to Seattle and sold furniture, then went to Hawaii, where he later retired. Madelyn Dunham was vice president of a bank there and still lives in Hawaii.

Obama lived with his grandparents in Hawaii after his mother and father split.

Stanley Dunham returned to El Dorado in 1985 for the 50th reunion of the Class of 1935. His older brother, Ralph, who lives in Florida, joined him on the trip, but Madelyn did not.

Although Dunham graduated in 1936, he considered himself part of the previous year’s class, Kerns said.

“Some credit didn’t count or something, and he went back and graduated with the other class,” Kerns said. “I don’t know what happened.”

Dunham died in 1992. Obama’s mother died of cancer in 1995.

Grandmother’s history

Madelyn Dunham was an intelligent girl raised by strict parents, said a friend who grew up with her and asked to remain anonymous.

“Madelyn sometimes could not do a lot of the things the other girls could,” the friend said.

In Augusta before the war, there wasn’t much to do, anyway, she said. They went to movies and a skating rink and a drugstore. They came to Wichita to shop and attend dances at the Blue Moon on South Oliver, where the big bands of Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman and others played.

“The parents, most of them, approved,” the friend said. “I’m not sure if Madelyn’s parents did. But we all went.”

Wolf grew up in Augusta and remembers going to Madelyn Dunham’s house for Fourth of July celebrations. She also remembers playing with dolls with Stanley Ann briefly. She was only 6 or 7 when the family left Kansas, she said.

She remembered her cousin’s family, like her own, emphasized education.

“They always said have two degrees so if you don’t like one, you can do the other,” Wolf said.

After Obama spoke at the 2004 Democratic Convention, Madelyn Dunham’s friends from Augusta wrote her letters saying how impressed they were with her grandson, predicting that someday he would run for president, the friend said.

At the most recent reunion, everybody signed a card telling her that Obama had a good chance to be elected.

There was no response, she said, although Madelyn Dunham did send macadamia nuts for the reunion three years ago.

Family resemblance

Friends of Obama’s grandparents can see the similarities in the candidate’s face.

In one photograph, Kerns said, “It’s shocking how much he looks like his grandfather.”

Wolf has no doubt that Kansas has thoroughly seeped into Obama’s roots. His honesty is proof, she said. That comes from his ancestors.

“Our parents just wouldn’t tell a lie. They said it’s so much easier to tell the truth because you just don’t have to worry about it,” Wolf said.

“I know his roots are from Kansas,” she said. “I know that.”

Reach Fred Mann at 316-268-6310 or fmann@wichitaeagle.com.