Janice Grubb is still mourning the loss of her daughter Crystal Grubb, and now on June 18th, Grubb lost a second daughter, Bessie Grubb, who died after being found in medical distress near the courthouse square.
Grubb, family members, and friends have been raising money for the funeral, much of it coming from community members passing by Seminary Park in cars.
Bessie Grubb was a fixture in Bloomington, and could often be seen with a shopping cart, and her dogs. Her mother says she has the dogs in her care now.
Thursday at Seminary park, while taking a break from raising money for the funeral, Grubb expressed frustration, anger, and sadness about the death of her daughter. Grubb said it will be six weeks before a toxicology report is released, and she can determine how her daughter died, but she said she has a theory that her daughter was poisoned after ingesting spice (which is a synthetic street drug with an ever-changing formula, with unknown origins).
Grubb said her daughter was recently evicted from housing, and even though the mother herself has recently experienced homelessness, she offered her daughter a place to stay in her residence but was limited to how many days her daughter could stay due to Section 8 housing rules. Grubb’s husband also died a couple of years ago.
“Crystal’s case is still going on, they ain’t doing nothing with that case,” said Janice Grubb. Grubb said she was told investigators are waiting for some people to come forward (with information about Crystal’s death), “Nobody’s going to come forward after 10 years,” said Grubb.
“I will raise Cain with the mayor, and all,” said Grubb, who promised there will be another walk for justice for Bessie, starting in Seminary Park next June 18th. “I’m going to find out what’s going on. If they can’t do their job why do they have a job?”
Bessie died two days after Janice’s birthday.
“I don’t work, I was working, but I got laid off because of the Coronavirus. We just barely make it.”
The family raised 2500 dollars in four days for Bessie’s funeral, which is next Tuesday. The family is now raising money for the grave marker, and some odds and ends, and plans to hold signs soon to thank the community for helping.
“I’m tired, I’m so tired,” said Grubb, before she picked up a sign again, and stood expressionless along Walnut Street.
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/bloomington-in/bessie-grubb-9227698
A GoFundMe has also been set up:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/funds-for-bessie-biggie-grubb-funeral-thurs-24th
