GoFundMe Helps Fund Funeral For Mother Killed In House Collapse

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HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) — Loved ones are remembering a woman who died last month when her house suddenly collapsed.

Funeral services were held Saturday for 38-year-old Tika Justice at Saint Phillips Baptist Church in Hamilton Township.

Officials: Mother Killed, 2 Daughters Injured In Hamilton Township House Collapse

One of her two daughters, ages 20 and 16, is still recovering from her injuries suffered during the July 23 house collapse.

"They found the deceased victim on top of the daughter, the 16-year-old, who was subsequently removed," said Hamilton Fire Capt. Ferdinand Mather.

James Feig, who was riding by on a bike when he saw the aftermath of the collapse, says he tried to comfort the older daughter. The 20-year-old was waist-deep in debris until first responders arrived.

"It's devastating. Like being in a war zone," Feig told Eyewitness News.

Report: Deadly Hamilton Township House Collapse Caused By Long-Term Water Damage

"She was a very hard working woman," said one neighbor who knew Justice. "She was a single parent, she raised her two daughters and it's just a shame."

Neighbors remember seeing Justice ride the train to New York where she worked at a bank to make ends meet for her kids.

An engineering report states that long-term water damage was the cause of the house collapse. The water penetrated through an exterior wall of the basement and caused a block to disintegrate, which resulted in the basement walls to collapse.

According to the report, the foundation of the nearly 100-year-old house was made up of blocks that was an early form of concrete that was much more sandy and which inspectors were able to break apart with their bare hands.

An effort to raise money through GoFundMe to cover the funeral expenses met its goal.