Dora Marie Sigar (21 September 1921 – 22 December 2008) was an Indonesian nurse, activist, and homemaker. She was best known for being the mother of

Prabowo Subianto Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo (born 17 October 1951) is an Indonesian politician, businessman, and former four-star Indonesian Army, army general who is serving as the eighth and current president of Indonesia since 2024. He was previously t ...

, the eighth

president of Indonesia The president of the Republic of Indonesia () is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Indonesia. The president is the leader of the executive branch of the Indonesian government and the commander-in-chief of the ...

Early life

Sigar was born on 21 September 1921 in Lawongan,

Minahasa Regency Minahasa Regency is a Regencies of Indonesia, regency in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Its capital is Tondano. It covers an area of 1,141.64 km2 and had a population of 310,384 at the 2010 Census;Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. this rose to ...

, as the daughter of Philip Frederik Laurens Sigar (1885–1946), a government official and member of ''

Volksraad The Volksraad was a people's assembly or legislature in Dutch or Afrikaans speaking government. Assembly South Africa * Volksraad (South African Republic) (1840–1902) * Volksraad (Natalia Republic), a similar assembly that existed in the Natalia ...

'', and Cornelie Emilia Maengkom (1888–1946). They both came from bureaucratic family. Sigar was of Minahasan and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

descent.

Education

At the age of 12, Sigar moved to the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

to continue her education at the in

Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...

. She already showed her intelligence at a young age. There, she studied post-surgical nursing and became active in student activities advocating for Indonesian rights, shaping her outlook as an educated and dedicated woman.

Career

Sigar met with Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, an economist, during a meeting organized by the () in 1945. He then became her patient after undergoing colon surgery due to

tumor A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...

. In 1946, Sumitro returned to Indonesia, and Sigar followed a year later. They married on 7 January 1945 and had four children. After she had returned to Indonesia, Sigar became a homemaker and focused on her family, supporting her husband's career as an economist and political figure. When Sumitro served in the cabinet, Sigar became the backbone of the family, especially when her husband became a fugitive due to alleged political and economic cases.

Personal life

Sigar married Sumitro Djojohadikusumo on 7 January 1945 in Matraman,

East Jakarta East Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jaktim, is the largest of the five administrative cities (''kota administrasi'') which form the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia, with a land area of 188.03 km2 (72.6 sq.miles). It had a population ...

, and had two sons,

(born 1951), a politician who served as the eighth

, and

Hashim Djojohadikusumo Hashim Sujono Djojohadikusumo (born 5 June 1953) is an Indonesian entrepreneur and politician who is the younger brother of Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto. In 2014, he was considered a billionaire. As of December 2020, Forbes estimates his ...

(born 1953), a businessman; and two daughters, Biantiningsih Miderawati Djiwandono (born 1946) and Maryani Ekowati Lemaistre (born 1948). They faced serious political challenges in the post-independence Indonesia, and their marriage lasted until Sumitro's death on 9 March 2001.

Death

Sigar died at

Mount Elizabeth Hospital Mount Elizabeth Hospital, known colloquially as Mount E, is a 345-bed private hospital in Singapore operated by Parkway Health. Construction began in 1976 and the hospital officially opened on 8 December 1979. The hospital specialises in card ...

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

at the age of 87 on 22 December 2008 after being hospitalized for a year due to old age and

lymphoma Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). The name typically refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enlarged lymph node ...

. She was buried at Tanah Kusir Cemetery on 23 December.

References

{{Authority control 1919 births 2008 deaths People from Minahasa Regency Minahasa people Indonesian people of German descent Indonesian activists Djojohadikusumo family Indonesian Christians