Helena Goossen, b. 1889 at Nicolaifeld, Russia, came in 1911 as a nurse to the Dutch Mennonite mission field in Java. She soon became matron of the hospital at Margaredjo, which office she held until 1922, when she married the medical missionary K. P. C. A. Gramberg, the director of the entire medical service. At that time the Grambergs lived at Kelet, the site of the principal hospital. Helena Gramberg excellently assisted her husband and the medical provision became exemplary; another hospital at Tajoe and a number of polyclinics in the neighborhood were opened and the number of patients rapidly increased. In March 1942, when the Japanese occupied the Dutch East Indies, a trying time began for the mission field. The medical care came to a standstill in August 1943, when the Gramberg family was interned; Helena Gramberg-Goossen died in the camp on 23 August 1945. The Grambergs not only took care of the medical work, but also participated in the spiritual work. So they took part in organizing the Javanese Christians into 10 independent Mennonite congregations (1940).

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 542. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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