Ans van den Herik was 78 when she died after facing cancer six times. Her well-known family — including her daughter, Yolanda Hadid and her grandchildren, Gigi, Bella, and Anwar Hadid — took to Instagram to share memories of their “Oma.”
Ans van den Herik, mother to former model and TV personality Yolanda Hadid and grandmother to supermodels Gigi Hadid (24), Bella Hadid (22), and Anwar Hadid (20), sadly died on Friday, August 30. Herik was 78 years old, and this was her sixth time facing cancer, according to a heartfelt Instagram post that 24-year-old Gigi Hadid shared about her grandmother’s death.
“Our queen angel fought cancer six times in her life with courage, strength, and grace while being the greatest mother and grandmother,” Gigi wrote in the caption. “She is an honorable guide we will carry with us forever. We love you more than words, our beautiful wonderful Oma.”
OUR QUEEN ANGEL fought cancer six times in her life with courage, strength, and grace while being the greatest mother and grandmother. She is an honorable guide we will carry with us forever. We love you more than words, our beautiful wonderful Oma.
A post shared by Gigi Hadid (@gigihadid) on Aug 31, 2019 at 11:17am PDT
Bella, too, shared an Instagram post, including a caption that read, “Our beautiful Oma has been laid to rest peacefully. Finally able to be without pain…My spirit animal, idol, twin. I am so grateful for the backbone that was built by her, and for giving birth to my best friend and my everything @yolanda.hadid.”
The Hadid girls love horses, taking after their grandmother. (Image source: amourgihadid Instagram fan account).
“…She taught me so much about strength, humor, grace, attitude, love…I Can’t think about never being able to hug her again. But I do like to think that she is flying high with our Opa, happy, in heaven.. We feel you all around us … Rest In Peace Queen VDH.”
Our beautiful Oma has been laid to rest peacefully. Finally able to be without pain…My spirit animal, idol, twin. I am so grateful for the backbone that was built by her, and for giving birth to my best friend and my everything @yolanda.hadid She taught me so much about strength, humor, grace, attitude, love…I Can’t think about never being able to hug her again. But I do like to think that she is flying high with our Opa, happy, in heaven.. We feel you all around us … Rest In Peace Queen VDH. â¤ï¸
A post shared by ???? (@bellahadid) on Aug 31, 2019 at 5:27pm PDT
Yolanda Hadid, the 55-year-old former model and “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star, posted an especially emotional Instagram to honor her mother.
“RIP my guardian angel Mama,” Yolanda wrote as a caption to a series of black and white pictures of Ans at different times in her life. “Thank you for loving me the way the way that you did and for making me the woman that I am today. On angel wings you were taken away, but in my heart you will always stay….. I can not imagine this life without you but I pray that I will hear you whisper in the tallest trees and feel your love in the gentle breeze… When I miss you the most, our beautiful memories will hold you close… Our Love is eternal and you will always be with me and i will always be with you beyond the bounds of this realm. Rest In Peace my beautiful mama, I will honor you for the rest of my days….. Until we meet again, I LOVE YOU Yolanda”
????RIP my guardian angel Mama, Thank you for loving me the way the way that you did and for making me the woman that I am today. On angel wings you were taken away, but in my heart you will always stay….. I can not imagine this life without you but I pray that I will hear you whisper in the tallest trees and feel your love in the gentle breeze… When I miss you the most, our beautiful memories will hold you close… Our Love is eternal and you will always be with me and i will always be with you beyond the bounds of this realm Rest In Peace my beautiful mama, I will honor you for the rest of my days….. Until we meet again, I LOVE YOU Yolanda
A post shared by YOLANDA (@yolanda.hadid) on Aug 31, 2019 at 1:33am PDT
Though the Hadid family did not share specific details on the type or stage of cancer that their beloved matriarch had, we know that Ans has been facing the illness since at least June 2017, when Bella shared on Instagram that her grandmother (whom she and her sisters call “Oma”) was “going through the hardest struggle of her life battling cancer again.”
Bella Hadid hugs her Oma in June 2017. (Image source: Bella Hadid/ Instagram).
At the time, Bella also wrote, “I know for a fact she is the strongest woman I have ever met.”
The Hadid family decorated a piece of wood to honor their grandmother (Image source: Gigi Hadid/ Instagram).
Remembering Ans With Memories of Things That Brought Her Joy
When a loved one dies of cancer, many people find it comforting to revisit photographs and videos, and to embrace the activities, places, and things they loved most.
“Oma” with the Hadid girls (Image source: Instagram).
Throughout the weekend, Yolanda, Bella, Gigi, Anwar, and other members of the extended family took to social media sharing memories of Ans van den Herik with her grandchildren, on the beach, and with horses — a love she shares with Gigi and Bella.
Anwar Hadid, 20, hugs the piece of wood that he and his siblings decorated for their grandmother. (Image source: Gigi Hadid/ Instagram).
On a decorated piece of wood, the family members wrote, “our guardian angel, 4ever I<3 U” and “I love you so much Oma, you ARE our Queen and we will have you in our hearts and minds FOREVER.”
