Kris (Yueh Rong) Lin

Kris (Yueh Rong) Lin was born in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Her father, Lim Tjhiung Sen, was a physician and mother, Bong Siu Tjau, was a homemaker. While still a young child, the family moved to Jakarta. Being a very curious and quick learner who enjoyed travel, Kris excelled in school, getting her primary schooling in Singapore and then Edinburgh, UK, graduating with honors from high school. Her parents believed strongly in the value of education – that an education could be a source of stability, a livelihood – that an education was a tool that nobody could take away.

When it came time to consider a college, a well-respected choice was to study in the United States. A daunting prerequisite was having to learn the English language. Kris had been admitted to universities in California, but having seen palm trees all her life, was curious to experience a dramatically different environment with variety of seasons. Looking at the map, Michigan stood out for its unique shape and lakes, so Kris enrolled at Western Michigan University. Even with the added challenge of learning in a foreign language, Kris excelled in her studies, graduating with a bachelor’s in computer information systems and went on to complete a master’s in finance, again excelling with high honors. Modeling her parent’s appreciation for education, Kris could often be heard saying, “knowledge is power.”

After graduating from WMU, Kris performed Information Technology support during the computer boom of the 90s. She later worked for the West Michigan Chapter 13 Trustee, combining her IT and finance skills. She then found herself back at her alma mater, this time as an employee working in WMU Admissions, processing applications, and performing special projects that benefited from her analytical nature. Kris went on to the WMU Haenicke Institute for Global Education where she handled international students’ admissions applications and facilitated their visa and immigration process. She was particularly at home in this role, helping a new generation of foreign students embark on their overseas educational adventure just as she had done.

Kris took pride in her hobbies as much as her education and work. Creative and willing to try new things, whether it be Noah’s Ark in needlepoint, dog sweaters in yarn, greeting cards made with autumn leaves or complex food recipes. Often, she didn’t follow a recipe book – she called it “jazz cooking” – an improvisation that would always be slightly new and different whenever recreated. Among her proud moments was earning United States citizenship in 2016 and officially calling America her home.

Kind-hearted and generous, Kris cared for others, serving both as thoughtful listener and encouraging counselor. Honest and respectful, often a quiet person yet enjoyed a good laugh and kept an optimistic outlook. Yueh Rong made a difference in the lives of others all over the globe and our world is a better place because she was part of it.

A private burial took place at Maple Grove Cemetery in Mattawan and a service will be planned at a later date.