Nelly Marie Bosma

Nelly Marie Bosma (Iseli) was born on October 8, 1926, in Sawah Lunto on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, to Bernard and Asmah Iseli.  She died peacefully on November 29th, 2022 at Hospice of Dayton.  Nelly was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Marinus, her sisters Stien Nurdin and Poppie de Ridder, and brothers Sjair, Karel, Dolf, Frits, Jan, Henri, Gerard, and Theo.  Her last surviving sibling is Martin in Amsterdam.

She was a devoted wife; mother of 4 children, Lee (Joyce), Ben (Ginny), Irene Smallwood-Bosma (Martin), and David (Cindy); and beloved Oma to grandchildren Eric (Aimee), Lori, Chris (Sophie), Lisa (Ryan), Kim (Blake), Jenna, and Tracy, and 11 great-grandchildren.

Nelly grew up in a large family in Indonesia all of whom survived Japanese occupation during WWII.  Five of her 7 brothers, who were old enough, fought in the war, and all returned.  After the war, she met her husband, Marinus, who was with the Dutch Army, and they were married on September 7, 1949.  They had their firstborn, Lee, in Indonesia after which they moved to Holland via the better part of a month’s journey by sea.  In Holland, the young family added two more children, Ben and Irene.  Wanderlust bit again and the family of 5 packed up and embarked on the journey that would have them settle in rural Ohio where she took up housekeeping and child-raising on a small farm.  She arrived in the USA with $10.52 which she used to purchase blue jeans, flannel shirts, and a dress for her kids “so that they would look like Americans.”  This dedication to her family and sacrifice for others both human and animal defined her life.  She built a home for her family from very little to a thriving body of children, relatives, and Dutch-Indonesian friends.

She and her husband founded Bosma Machine and Tool Corporation where she served as Secretary-Treasurer before they retired to Florida and traveled the world, making friends and memories.  After over 20 years in Florida, the two moved back to Ohio to be closer to family and settled into the comforts of 10 Wilmington Place.  There she and Marinus were able to be cared for as the oldest couple living there.  Age and struggles with her health didn’t dampen her spirit, which showed through it all.  However, the loss of her lifelong partner of 73 years, just 25 days before she succumbed, was just too much for her tiny frame with a huge heart.

A Celebration of Life is being held Saturday, January 21st at 2:00 PM at the Arbogast Performing Arts Center, 500 S. Dorset Road, Troy, OH 45373.   In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Nelly Marie Bosma, please visit our floral store.