Hundreds come to honor El Paso victim after public invited
Source: Associated Press
Jamie Stengle and Russell Contreras, Associated Press
Updated 10:49 pm CDT, Friday, August 16, 2019
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — When Jordan Ballard read that one of the victims of the El Paso massacre had few relatives and the public was invited to her funeral, the Los Angeles resident bought a plane ticket and flew to Texas to honor a woman she had never met.
She was one of hundreds of strangers who braved 100-degree (38 Celsius) heat to pay their respects to 63-year-old Margie Reckard. Feeling heartbroken and alone after her death, Reckard's companion of 22 years, Antonio Basco, had welcomed anyone to attend.
"I arrived here this morning," said Ballard, 38, who lived in New York City during the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. "His story moved me."
The service was moved from a funeral home to La Paz Faith Memorial & Spiritual Center to accommodate the crowd. Vocalists and musicians volunteered to help, including a mariachi band. Condolences and orders for flowers poured in.
Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Feeling-alone-man-invites-world-to-El-Paso-14310920.php