Flowers for Margie: Strangers from around nation send flowers for El Paso shooting victim’s funeral

Margie Reckard lost her life in the Aug. 3 Walmart attack and will be laid to rest this Saturday. Her husband, Antonio Basco said he was worried the funeral and visitation would be empty since she was his only living relative. So he made a plea to the public that quickly went viral. Hundreds of strangers plan to attend the ceremony in person. But it’s not just the local community supporting him, but people from around the entire country are sending flowers and messages to the funeral.

One message from three separate people over three states reads “though we have never met, we send you healing thoughts and much love during this difficult time.”

Martha Karo owns and operates “a flower for us” in east El Paso and says the orders for Margie Reckard and her family have been coming in non-stop. “This is the last thing they are going to receive, that’s why I put so many prayers and thoughts in my arrangements because it’s the last thing,” Karo explains, “he’s going to be surprised, I don’t think he’s going to expect this and I think there is going to be a lot of people at the funeral. we are trying to be there.”

Karo says she has had around 50 orders so far for the Reckard family, but other florists have seen even more orders. Funeral director for Perches Funeral Homes Harrison Johnson says several florists have told him they will have over 100 arrangements to bring.

“I’ve been doing this for over 30 years and I have seen very high profile people who have not had this much response,” Johnson says, “he feels like he is going to be alone and I keep assuring him he’s not going to be alone, we’re all going to be here.”

Johnson says they expect to have 400 to 500 flower arrangements to set up. Visitation services will be held this Friday from 6 to 10 p.m. at the La Paz Faith Center at 1201 N. Piedras Street in El Paso. T he funeral is scheduled for Saturday at 9 a.m. at Restlawn Cemetery.