Madonna's grandmother passes away

Madonna's grandmother has died aged 99.

Elsie Mae Fortin, 'The Power of Good-Bye' singer's maternal grandmother, passed away in Bay City, Michigan yesterday (09.03.11), just three months before she would have turned 100.

Elsie had helped raise Madonna in her early years after the death of her mother from breast cancer in 1963, when she was just five.

The star is said to have been very close to her grandmother, and has often stayed with her for weeks over summers.

Madonna's father, Silvio Ciccone, paid respects to Elsie, telling the Bay City Times newspaper: "She was very friendly, loving and caring. She had a big family to take care of and she did a great job of it."

Silvio said he had visited his mother, who lived alone, often and last spoke with her just two weeks ago.

Madonna's publicist, Liz Rosenberg, issued a statement, reading: "I'm sorry, but Madonna will not be issuing any statements or conversing with the media regarding her grandmother. It is a totally personal matter to her."

A funeral mass will be held this Saturday (12.03.11) in Bay City.