By Jay Sowers

The Selma Times-Journal

 

BELOIT — More than a year after she went missing, community members are invited to a vigil to show support for Adline George at 6 p.m. Saturday evening at the Beloit Community Center.

Thirteen months after her she disappeared, while reportedly walking near her home in Beloit, George’s daughter Loretta Thomas said the support her family has received has helped them keep their faith George will one day be returned to them safely.

“I have people here who are constantly and calling me and praying with me,” Loretta said. “We still miss her, and we are hoping and praying that the Lord will send us something that can give us peace.”

Tonisha Thomas, Loretta’s daughter, said the special bond she shared with her grandmother as a child makes her disappearance even harder to bear.

“I used to stay with her in the summers while my parents would work. She took care of me,” Tonisha said. “She was like my mom; she was my second mom. It’s really hitting me hard that she’s not here.”

Tonisha, who now lives in Illinois, said Saturday’s vigil is an opportunity for family and friends of Adline to come together, talk about the woman they love, and find strength in each other after a tough year of searching.

“It’s been a year now and we are not giving up hope. We still believe she is still out there and we are still searching and praying for her,” Tonisha said. “We are still asking for help from anyone in the community who may know where she is.”