The Beloit Police Department and the family of Bessie Thomas say the 58-year-old Beloit woman has not been heardn from in nearly a week, and they need the community’s help to find her.
Her daughter, Ana Pemberton of Milwaukee, said Thomas, 58, is diabetic and needs insulin. Therefore anyone who encounters her might find her disoriented or “woozy.”
Pemberton said she texts her mother daily and they speak on the phone several times a week. She said they had plans to spend this week together in Milwaukee attending events. Pemberton was supposed to go to Beloit on Sunday and they were going to travel to Milwaukee together Monday.
“She really doesn’t like to drive that much,” Pemberton said. “If she were to have gone somewhere … outside of Beloit or Janesville area, it would have been it would have been with me.”
Pemberton said she spoke with Thomas about their plans for the week on Wednesday, but hasn’t been able to contact her since. She went to Thomas’s home in Beloit but both Thomas and her car — a 2017 red Jeep Patriot with Wisconsin license plate 781-TBJ, according to police — were gone.
Pemberton said she went to the homes of several family members in the area to see whether Thomas was visiting.
“She’s very family oriented. She loves her family,” Pemberton said. “When I first realized she was gone, the next thing I did was go see if she was at any family members homes. Because sometimes she’ll be with a family member just spending time with them. And she likes to be within community. She also enjoys going to different kitchens that are giving away like free lunches. And I know she even volunteers at a kitchen that goes on here at the library. She loves to be at the library because they have so many events and everyone at the library I believe knows her by first name, and they all love her.”
“I can say so many things about my mom because she really is the best person that I strive most to be like,” Pemberton added. “(She’s) honestly my biggest role model and the best version of myself in the hopes of making her proud. Because she’s very compassionate, kind and sweet and … I’m proud of her.”
Anyone who sees Thomas or her vehicle, or who may have information as to Thomas’s whereabouts, are urged to contact Beloit police at 608-757-2244.
