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04/01/2020 - Lekaroz, Navarre

Carmen Etxeberria passed on April 1 in Lekaroz due to Coronavirus. Born in 1936, she was a native of Orabidea, Lekaroz, Navarre. There were seven brothers, the four boys, Carlos, Alejandro, Pablo and Juanito, emigrated when they were young to the United States and the three sisters. Manuela (Mañolita), Carmen and Angeles, remained in Euskal Herria.

American born children of her brother Alejandro are Manuela, Cándida, Begoña and Carlos Echeverria. Candida Echeverria is currently president of the Chino Basque Club. Children of Carlos are Felix, Juan Martin and Benita (Lesaca), the three of them in Bakersfield. Also in Bakersfield, the children of Pablo are Eduardo, Ramon and RosaMari. And Juanito's two sons are Javier, in Bakersfield, and Ricardo, in Chino, California. All of them active and well known in the Basque community

Her niece Begoña Echeverria wrote a beautiful song, which she dedicates to her aunt Mari Carmen Echeverria, performed by Martin Lerissa and Mixel Ducau, musicians from the Basque Country who recently visited California. Listen here the emotional singing in Basque, accompanied by the English translation of the lyrics.

In 2017, students from the Lekaroz Institute (Unai Bikondo Elizalde and Olaia Elizalde Garaikoetxea, everything stays in the family) interviewed amatxi Karmen Etxeberria and recorded her singing traditional songs, accompanied on the accordion by her son Joxe Angel Elizalde Etxeberria.

Goian Bego (GB)