09/01/2026
J. Han Lankhorst
J. Han Lankhorst, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully on August 29, 2026, surrounded by his family.
Han was born on November 20, 1937, in the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. His childhood in Central Java was shaped by both beauty and upheaval, including World War II, the Japanese occupation, and the Indonesian National Revolution. These experiences eventually carried him from Indonesia to Holland and then to the United States, where he built a life centered on family, hard work and perseverance.
In Holland, Han met Eva Gortz, who had also recently left her country of birth, the Dutch East Indies. They met at a young adult Christian event and were married on May 14, 1960. In August of that year, they moved to the United States.
Han’s seminary education and calling to ministry eventually led him and Eva to Kansas, where they raised their four children. Han served as pastor to congregations in several small Kansas towns before becoming pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Salina in 1977. Although he later pursued a career outside professional ministry, Trinity remained his church home. He served as guest preacher on occasion, sang in the choir, taught and participated in adult Sunday school, and enjoyed healthy debates about how faith translates into action in the world.
Han went on to a successful career in auto sales and finance management. He loved cars. Anyone who met Han at a dealership will remember him as an honest man of integrity. Some may even recall the time he talked them out of buying a car, offering encouragement that the right car would come along if they were patient.
Han became a United States citizen in 1983 and was always proud of that achievement. At the same time, he never lost his love for his Dutch and Indonesian roots and the cultures that shaped him.
Han had a remarkable memory and a gift for storytelling. He remembered the smallest details of places, people, machines, sounds, and moments, and over the years he began writing those memories down for his children and grandchildren.
Those writings became his memoir, From the Dutch East Indies to America: The Life Story of Han Lankhorst. In the final weeks of his life, Han was able to hold a printed copy of his book in his hands and see his story preserved for future generations.
Above all, Han loved his family. To them, he was Dad, Opa, the keeper of stories and a steady presence through the years.
Han is survived by his children, Carola Collier (Michael), Alex Lankhorst (Julia), Leslie Lankhorst, and Christel Brosi (Paul); grandchildren Christopher Collier, Jordan Lankhorst (Ben), Shelbi Mckenzie (Montrell), Monica, Caitlin, Sarah, Christian, and Dominic Brosi; great-grandchildren Lyric Jacobs, Jayden and Dreighton Mckenzie; brothers John Lankhorst (Rebecca) and Jack Lankhorst (Jane); and sister Janet Lankhorst (Zachary Memos).
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Eva Maria Lankhorst; his parents, Christine Gabeler and David Lankhorst; stepparents Tilly Lankhorst and Tim Verwoerd, and his sisters, W***y Lankhorst, Hetty Kraayenbrink and Yoka Schaufelberger.
A Celebration of Life will be held on September 10, 2026, at 10:30 am at Trinity United Methodist Church in Salina, Kansas.
Han’s life crossed continents, generations, and nearly nine decades. The world changed enormously around him, but he remembered it all.
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