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Another Death On Eugene's Streets: Mourning Annette Montero

Tiffany Eckert

A memorial was held Friday for a 57-year old woman who died on the streets of Eugene. Her death has once again raised the question of why more isn’t being done to shelter homeless people. KLCC’s Tiffany Eckert reports from First Christian Church.

It was here that Annette Montero had her last meal. The next morning, August 26th, she was found dead in her tattered red sleeping bag near an alley behind the church. She was crushed by a garbage truck.

Members of her family were among about 150 people at a service. Lorraine Baldi is her daughter.

“I want to say thank you and let all the unhoused know that my mother was not seen-- but I see you. And we can choose kindness.”

Credit Tiffany Eckert
Annette Montero's family, including two brothers and a sister, her daughter and ex-husband, sat in the front row during the memorial at First Christian Church.

Speakers like Reverend Dan Bryant said Montero’s name should not be forgotten and that those without homes should not be reduced to statistics or abstractions. And there were renewed calls for a public shelter in the downtown.  

Credit Tiffany Eckert
Annette Montero as a teen in California.

Credit Tiffany Eckert
Annette Montero's brother Ron takes the microphone from Rev. Dan Bryant to speak about his sister during her memorial. He said, "My sister died behind this church. No one should have to go like that."

Credit Tiffany Eckert
Mourners left notes to Annette Montero on a large cardboard sleeping bag cut-out.

Credit Tiffany Eckert
First Christian Church provides free meals to anyone in need. This is where Annette Montero last ate.

Tiffany joined the KLCC News team in 2007. She studied journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia and worked in a variety of media including television, technical writing, photography and daily print news before moving to the Pacific Northwest.
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