Elselyn Harriette Angelique (Es) Fa Si Oen, the second-oldest woman in the Netherlands, passed away in Amsterdam on 14 February, three days before her 110th birthday, according to AT5.nl.
She was born in Nieuw Amsterdam, Suriname (then part of the Netherlands) on 17 February 1915. She was the fourth of five siblings. At the age of seven, her family relocated to the Combé district in Paramaribo, the capital and largest city of Suriname. Later that year, her father passed away while traveling to his native China. As a young woman during World War II, she took on a leadership role at the City Mission of the EBGS. She had begun as a volunteer in 1930 but eventually became its director. She described the City Mission as “the evangelical socio-cultural center of the Evangelical Brotherhood in Paramaribo.”
She never married and had no children, attributing this to her lifelong desire to travel. She visited numerous places, including the United States, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Denmark. In China, she paid a visit to the graves of her father and grandparents. After experiencing a period of physical weakness, her doctor advised her to take a trip to Europe. In late 1956, she embarked on what was meant to be a temporary holiday, but it soon became a permanent move. She settled in a flat in Zeist, Netherlands, where she remained.
At the time of her passing, she was the second-oldest living woman in the country, after Elizabeth Philippina van Boven-Smaal.
The featured image was sourced from: MAX Maakt Mogelijk
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Es Fa Si Oen during this difficult time.
