Helene Elisabeth Kluge

August 14, 1939 – December 28, 2025

Helene Elisabeth Kluge was born on August 14, 1939, in Yogyakarta, Java, in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), to Paulona Dias and Friedrich Wilhelm Kluge. When World War II broke out, Helene was just two and a half years old. Her early childhood, from ages two to seven, was marked by constant fear, hunger, and profound loss, including her father’s internment as a prisoner of war in Japan. During the Japanese occupation, Paulona and her seven children barely survived. The family also survived the genocide known as the Bersiap in 1946.

Though these experiences were deeply traumatic, Helene emerged with remarkable resilience. Rather than breaking her spirit, they instilled in her a deep grit and an enduring faith in the Lord that sustained her throughout her life.

After the war, Helene began her education, attending school both in the former Dutch East Indies and later in the Netherlands. Following her graduation, she trained as a kindergarten teacher and eventually became a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), working in both the Netherlands and Boston, Massachusetts.

The Kluge family immigrated to the United States in the 1960s. In the 1970s, Helene and her son, Paul, moved to Oregon to join her parents and sisters, who had relocated there earlier. While living in Oregon, Helene and her sisters were active members of the Indo-Dutch Insulinde Club, where she met her future husband, Gerard Bome. After their marriage, the couple, along with Helene’s son Paul, settled in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Helene was widowed in 2003 but continued to live an active and faithful life. She was a devoted member of Hillsboro First Baptist Church, where she sang in the choir. She also served as a Cub Scout den leader for her son Paul’s pack. Professionally, Helene worked for Tektronix for 30 years, earning a commendation medal in recognition of her dedicated service.

Helene lived on three continents and spoke three languages fluently. She was truly a citizen of the world—adventurous, resilient, and unafraid to face life’s challenges head-on. She was also a published poet and had begun the process of turning her life story into a book.

Helene’s earthly journey ended on December 28, 2025, when she was called home to be with the Lord and reunited with her loved ones in Heaven.

She was preceded in death by her son, Paul James Kluge (2015); her husband, Gerard Bome (2003); her parents, Paulona and Friedrich Kluge; and her siblings, Frits and Willem Kluge, Maud Gemser, Johanna AnHaack, Connie Kluge, and Francisca Sittrop.

Helene is survived by her grandson, Michael Kluge of Oregon; her last remaining sibling, Priscilla McMullen of Boston; and numerous nieces and nephews living in Indonesia, the Netherlands, Australia, and throughout the United States.

A funeral service will be held on January 3, 2026, from 12:00 pm to 1:45 pm at Finley Sunset Hills Mortuary, located at 6801 SW Sunset Hwy, Portland, OR 97225.

Following the funeral, a committal service is scheduled for January 3, 2026, from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm at Sunset Hills Memorial Park, also located at 6801 SW Sunset Hwy, Portland, OR 97225.

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Eulogy by Priscilla McMullen

Welcome to everyone here. Thank you for taking the time today out of your busy holiday schedule to pay your respects to my sister Helene. I might not know each one of you personally but enough so that I am grateful for your taking the time to attend.

A quick word on the schedule this afternoon.

Where do I start? Many of you know Lenie as someone who has a will of her own and will find a way to cope with any curveball life has thrown at her.

Today… we gather with heavy hearts, but also with deep gratitude, to honor and remember the life of my sister Helene Elisabeth Kluge— LENIE, as she is known to family and friends, was a woman whose journey through this world bore unmistakable marks of courage, faith, and grace.

The words of Scripture from Isaiah 41:10 was THE bible text, THE CREDO the Family Kluge lived by, through the ordeals that ONLY Indos can understand. That CREDO exemplified by our parents, feel as though they were written with Lenie’s life in mind:

“So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Lenie was born on August 14, 1939, in Yogyakarta, Java, in the former Dutch East Indies which is now known as the Republic of Indonesia. She was born an Indo European, MEANING, the child from a marriage between a European Father and a mother whose ancestry was from the Dutch East Indies archipelago.

Lenie was born at a time when the world was on the brink of unimaginable turmoil. At 2 ½ years old, BEFORE most children form memories, Lenie learned what fear looked like. World War II stole her father from her side, placed him in a prison camp in Japan, and plunged her mother and seven siblings into years of hunger, uncertainty, and loss on the island of Java. She survived the Japanese occupation and the violence of the Bersiap, which was the fight for Independence from the Dutch—events that would have broken many spirits.

Yet Isaiah tells us, “Do not fear, for I am with you.” Somehow, even as a small child, Lenie was being upheld. God’s hand was steady when the world was not.

Those early years could have left her hardened or defeated. Instead, they shaped a woman of extraordinary resilience. Lenie did not deny the pain of her past, but she refused to let it define her future. Her faith in the Lord—quiet, steady, and enduring—became the anchor of her life.

After the war, she pursued education across continents, adapting again and again to new cultures, new languages, and new beginnings. She became a kindergarten teacher, then a nurse, always drawn to caring for others. In the Netherlands, in Boston, and later in Oregon, Lenie lived out ANOTHER promise from Isaiah: “I will strengthen you and help you.” She accepted responsibility with diligence and humility, whether tending children, caring for patients, or building a life for her family.

When the Kluge family immigrated to the United States, Helene embraced yet another chapter. First landing in Boston, Massachusetts where her beloved son, Paul James was born. Then on to Oregon, where she found community, love, and purpose. She met her husband, Gerard, through shared culture and friendship, and together they built a home in Hillsboro with her son, Paul. She gave her heart fully—to her family, to her church, to her work.

Lenie sang in the choir at Hillsboro First Baptist Church, lifting her voice in praise even when her heart carried grief. She led Cub Scouts, worked faithfully at Tektronix for 30 years, and earned recognition not because she sought honors, but because she showed up—consistently, generously, and with integrity.

Life did not spare her sorrow. She buried her husband in 2003 and her beloved son Paul in 2015. These losses cut deeply. YET, Isaiah’s words echo again: “Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.” Lenie grieved, but she did not lose hope. She continued to live, to serve, to write, and to love.

She lived on three continents, spoke three languages, wrote poetry, and began telling her own story—not to dwell on hardship, but to testify to survival and faith. Helene was truly a citizen of the world, but above all, she was a citizen of God’s kingdom.

On December 28, 2025, Lenie’s earthly journey came to an end. THE SAME God who upheld her through war, migration, widowhood, and loss now welcomed her home.

Isaiah’s promise was fulfilled completely: “I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

She is no longer weary. She is no longer afraid. She is reunited with those she loved and trusted in the presence of her Lord.

Today, as we say goodbye, we do not do so without hope. We honor a life that testified—again and again—to God’s faithfulness. Lenie’s story reminds us that fear does not have the final word, that suffering does not erase purpose, and that faith can carry us across oceans, generations, and even death itself.

May we remember her strength.

May we cherish her faith.

And may we carry forward the assurance she lived by:

“Do not fear, for I am with you.”

Before we leave today, there is one more expression of gratitude that I must include.

In the later chapters of Helene’s life, when her world became smaller and her body weaker, God continued to keep His promise to “strengthen” and “uphold” her—this time through people. Through hands that served, voices that listened, and hearts that showed up day after day.

On behalf of our family, I want to offer our deepest thanks to the administrative and support staff, the nurses, the CNAs, and the physical therapy teams at Maryville and Rosewood nursing facilities. YOU cared for Helene around the clock. YOU were her lifeline.

It is difficult to imagine what it means to spend day after day in a single room, alone with one’s thoughts, surrounded by memories that only you can hold, returning from dialysis three times a week to a quiet space where no one is waiting. In that place, YOUR presence mattered more than you may ever know.

You brought companionship where there could have been loneliness. You brought dignity where there could have been despair. You brought kindness, patience, and humanity into moments that might otherwise have felt empty.

Thank you—Stevie, Lourdes, Tyler, Philipe, Maria, Olivia, Angela, and so many others whose names we may not know but whose care was deeply felt—for pausing in the midst of your demanding days to listen, to share a moment, and to treat Helene not just as a patient, but as a person.

Friends such as Yvonne, Joke, Connie Johnson and Ingrid were part of how God upheld Lenie. And for that, we will always be grateful.,

Helene’s life was marked by faith, endurance, and love—and in the end, she was surrounded by those same gifts through the people who were her friends.Their presence in Helene’s life meant more to her than words can express. They were not just friends—they were part of her chosen family.