George Floyd’s fiancée says he had dreams of becoming an entrepreneur before his life was ended by a former Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on his neck for nearly 9 minutes on May 25.
Courteney Ross, 44, attended Floyd’s emotional memorial service in Minneapolis on Thursday. She sobbed over his casket as friends comforted her.
Ross, who manages a coffee shop in the city’s north east side, says she last spoke to Floyd the day before he died.
She said Floyd turned his life around and he had plans to open a restaurant called the Convict Kitchen.
“He served some time in a Texas prison and after he was released he was able to get help with an organization called Turning Point,” she said. “One job led to another and another. He really loved it here. He did get some peace in his life here.”
She said Floyd wanted to hire ex-convicts to work at his restaurant to give them a second chance at life like he was given.
It is difficult for ex-convicts to find gainful employment because of their criminal records.
“Floyd even had some of the foods picked out that he wanted to serve his customers,” she said. “He had ideas on some of the foods he wanted to serve. He wanted to serve food at his restaurant that ex-cons would cook in their cell, using the foods inmates would buy at the commissary and making a gourmet dish out of it.”
She added: “Floyd use to tell me that you can practically make anything out of Ramen Noodles, you can grind them up and use them to make pizza dough [for] a cake if you add Oreo Cookies.”
The Minneapolis memorial was the first of three services for Floyd. Rappers Master P, Tip “T.I.” Harris, and Ludacris attended the memorial service on Thursday. The services will culminate with Floyd’s funeral in his hometown of Houston, Texas on Tuesday, June 9.
