Jennie Gans-Heilbron was married in 1918. She and her husband had three children: Abraham, Johan and a child who survived the war. Jennie Gans-Heilbron and her husband ran a shoe store on the Gedempte Singel in Assen.
Abraham Gans completed the state higher secondary school on the Beilerstraat in Assen. His name is listed on the memorial plaque that was transferred in 1972 to the hall of the Quintus building of the Nassaucollege on the Groen van Prinstererstraat. At the start of World War II he worked on a farm in Zeijen as a Palestine pioneer. He went into hiding near Giethoorn. The farm where he worked was raided, and Bram died of the bullet wounds he sustained during the attack.
Johan Gans was known as Joop. In 1942 he went into hiding with Nurse Brouwer in Groningen. He was often ill and received care from Rientje Hartog and her daughter Tilly, who were in hiding at the same address. In September 1943 he developed serious pneumonia and lapsed into a coma. Dr. Haex at what was then the Groot Ziekenhuis [large hospital] in Groningen had him admitted, but Johan died on 30 September 1944, nearly 20. He was buried in a village in Groningen by the resistance. After the war, his remains were reburied in Assen.
Jennie Gans-Heilbron's husband survived the war.
H. Hamburger and J.C. Regtien, Joodse oorlogsmonumenten in de provincie Drenthe. Profiel (Bedum 1999) 8-9
In addition, a Jokos file (number 2641) on this family is at the Amsterdam Municipal Archive. Access is subject to authorization from the Stichting Joods Maatschappelijk Werk.The Jokos file reveals that a claim was lodged for compensation for valuables surrendered to the Lippmann-Rosenthal looting bank (L-claim, number 3725/8295).
This family is commemorated on a memorial in Assen. More information on this memorial can be found (in Dutch) on the website of the Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei.