Alice Montoya

From The Albuquerque Journal of Wednesday, Apr. 7, 1954:

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22063907/dead_woman_found_at_home_m...

Woman Found Dead at Home

A 69-year-old woman was found dead at her Heights home Tuesday noon, apparently a victim of poisoning.

Pronounced dead by a physician at the house was Mrs. Alice Montoya, 2112 Oxford Ave. SE. Her body was taken by P&S Ambulance to Strong-Thorne Mortuary, where funeral arrangements are pending.

Police Lt. Fred Johnson said John Tope, 20, arrived home about noon Tuesday from attending classes at the University of New Mexico and found his grandmother lying dead on the bathroom floor. He called the police, the fire department inhalator squad, and an ambulance.

Lt. Johnson and Sgt. John Hare reported that a glass containing traces of what appeared to be cyanide used as ant poison was found overturned near Mrs. Montoya's body. The ruling of an inquest was withheld pending analysis of the substance.

Raymond Padilla, special investigator for the district attorney's office, ordered the inquest. Peace Justice Epimenio Herrera is conducting the investigation.

Lt. Johnson quoted members of the dead woman's family as saying Mrs. Montoya had been despondent recently.

Besides Tope, Mrs. Montoya is survived by

• two daughters,
  • Mrs. Kitty McFall, Albuquerque;
  • Mrs. Alice Pederson, Gallup;
• a sister, Lizzie Thomas, Flagstaff, and
• another grandson, David Pederson, Gallup.

Mrs. Montoya was a member of St. Charles Church. She was the widow of Atanasio Montoya, who was superintendent of Bernalillo County schools for a number of years.

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From her obituary in the Albuquerque Journal, of Wednesday, Apr. 7, 1954

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22061474/albuquerque_journal/

Montoya - Mrs. Alice Montoya, 69, a resident of this city for 49 years, died suddenly here early Tuesday afternoon. she lived at 2112 Oxford Street SE, and is survived by

• two daughters,
  • Mrs. Kitty McFall, of this city, and
  • Mrs. Alice Pedersen, of Gallup, NM;
• one grandson, David, of Gallup, and
• one grandson, John Tope, here;
• one sister, Mrs. Lizzie Thomas, Flagstaff, Arizona.

She was a member of the St. Charles Catholic Church. Funeral arrangements will be announced by the Strong-Thorne Mortuary.