Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama arrived in Hawai'i tonight for a brief, hastily arranged visit with his maternal grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, whose health is deteriorating.

The Hawai'i-born U.S. senator touched down at Honolulu International Airport in his private campaign plane about 7:15 p.m. from the Mainland, where, earlier today, he appeared at a rally in downtown Indianapolis.

Obama departed the plane and entered his motorcade at a private hangar. The motorcade left the hangar at about 7:30 p.m. and proceeded directly to the Makiki-area apartment complex of his maternal grandmother, Madelyn Dunham.

The motorcade arrived at his grandmother's apartment complex at about 7:45 p.m. Obama entered the complex for a private visit.

Obama met with his grandmother for about one hour. The Democratic presidential nominee did not make a statement to the news media about the visit or about his plans in Honolulu.

Obama's motorcade left his grandmother's apartment complex at about 8:50 p.m. for a short trip to the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, where the senator is staying. The motorcade arrived at the hotel just after 9 p.m.

Obama has no public events scheduled on O'ahu. He is expected to leave the island Friday about 5 p.m. and resume his campaign in the battleground state of Nevada.

The detour during the critical last two weeks of the campaign was so Obama could see his beloved grandmother "Toot," who has been in poor health after she fell and broke her hip earlier this month.

Dunham, who turns 86 on Sunday, has suffered from osteoporosis that has limited her mobility and largely confined her to her 10th floor, two-bedroom Beretania Street apartment where she helped raise Obama.

In an interview this week with CBS News, Obama said he was intent on not making the same mistake he made before his mother died. Obama arrived back home in Hawaii too late to see her before Stanley Ann Dunham died of ovarian cancer in 1995 at age 53.

In an interview scheduled to air Friday morning on ABC's "Good Morning America," Obama said of his grandmother: "She has been inundated with phone calls and e-mails and flowers from strangers who have read about her in my first book."

"And so maybe she is getting a sense of, of long-deserved recognition at — towards the end of her life."

Obama attended Punahou School on a partial scholarship and through tuition paid by Madelyn and Stanley Dunham, according to retired Advertiser reporter and editor Jerry Burris who, along with journalist Stu Glauberman, wrote the recent book, "The Dream Begins: How Hawaii Shaped Barack Obama."

Myrtle Choan told The Advertiser that the stern lessons she learned from Dunham 48 years ago at Bank of Hawaii helped give Choan success in her own career.

"I was taught by Madelyn Dunham and I am what I am today because of her," said Choan, who is now a Realtor for Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties.

"She was a tough woman, but I am thankful for what she taught me."

Choan sent her good wishes for Dunham's health while remembering her years serving under Dunham in the fledgling escrow department that flourished under Dunham.

Choan was a 23-year-old named Myrtle Yuen when she began at Bank of Hawaii in 1960, then Hawai'i's largest bank in terms of assets.

"She was well known because she was a tough woman," Choan said. "Bank of Hawaii was known for escrow because she was the one. She was no-nonsense."

Choan remembers seeing Obama's mother in the bank, as well as Obama's grandfather, Stanley. But not Barack Obama, who would have been a toddler at the time.

"When Ann was young, Stanley was always waiting to take Mrs. Dunham home," Choan said. "She didn't drive."

Toward the end of the workday, Madelyn Dunham often unapologetically loaded Choan up with work.

"I was a single girl and she would give me 10, 12 folders (of escrow work) to take home to do as homework," Choan said. "Mrs. Dunham said, 'Myrtle, you can do it.' I was a nice girl from Sacred Hearts Academy and wouldn't answer back. No more playing around, with Mrs. Dunham. She would scold you."

Choan sometimes caddied for Bankoh's president during her four years at the bank. But Choan credits her time with Dunham for the subsequent success she has enjoyed.

"Mrs. Dunham started the escrow company," Choan said. "She was a smart woman. This is what I am today from what I learned from her."

In December 1970, Bankoh named Dunham one of its two first female vice presidents.

In August, during a family vacation on O'ahu, Obama told reporters that Dunham was struggling with osteoporosis. He and his family made several stops at "Toot's" apartment during the vacation.

In his speech accepting the Democratic presidential nomination later in August, Obama praised his grandmother when he said: "She's the one who taught me about hard work. She's the one who put off buying a new car or a new dress for herself so that I could have a better life. She poured everything she had into me."

Willes Lee, the state GOP chairman, and other Republicans are sympathetic to the circumstances surrounding Obama's visit.

"It's a very unfortunate situation," he said.

Charles Freedman, the political director of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i, said most people can relate to what Obama must be going through right now.

"Many of us have been in a similar situation with a parent or grandparent," he said. "Our hearts are with him and his family and we wish them all well."

Advertiser news services contributed to this report. Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070. Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8085.