Ivory Irene McCuen died Jan. 24 on the streets of Eugene. She was 30.
She was found outdoors in a parking lot near West 17th Avenue and Chambers Street in a severely hypothermic state and died en route to the hospital.
McCuen was raised in Crane, a small town in eastern Oregon’s Harney County, alongside her older sister, Breezy Smith. She loved art and music and could often be heard singing around the house, her family says. McCuen was known for her loving and accepting nature, and often told those around her how “wonderful and beautiful” they were.
She attended Oregon City High School for a period of time before later obtaining her GED. In recent years, she attended Lane Community College in hopes of becoming a counselor.