Anneke J. van Uchelen 1929 - 2025

Mrs. Anneke van Uchelen-Slikkerveer, a well-loved member of the McMinnville community, passed away peacefully at the age of 95, surrounded with love from her family and friends.

Anneke was known for her warm heart and positive spirit. She created occasions to bring people together in fellowship within all the communities to which she belonged – whether with family, friends, or her church congregation. She enjoyed connecting with others in good conversation, which was a gift she brought into many activities such as family sailing trips, travel abroad, and on cruises with her husband, Paul. Anneke’s magnetic personality not only attracted people, but she even had a gift for connecting with animals, and especially the pet dogs that became welcome members of the household.

Anneke was born in Batavia, Indonesia, which was part of the Dutch East Indies at the time. She possessed astounding inner strength and resilience with which she came through tremendous adversity in her life – notably her four-year imprisonment at the age of 12 in a brutal Japanese-run concentration camp during World War II. After the war, she returned to Holland and married Paul. They then immigrated to Canada, then moved to Oregon, and finally settled in McMinnville, Oregon, in 1967. Despite many hardships, Anneke maintained her sparkling personality and navigated through life with love, strength, and enduring faith.

Anneke is survived by her brother, Jan (Mady); husband, Paul; her three sons, Arthur, Collin (Michelle), and Mark (Suzi); and grandson, Bennett.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 7, 2025, at the First United Presbyterian Church of McMinnville.