euskalkultura.eus

04/17/2019 - Mountain Home, ID, USA

March 15, 1925- April 17, 2019

Phyllis Louise Arrillaga Bate, 94, passed away peacefully at St Luke’s Elmore Hospital in Mountain Home, on April 17, 2019 after a short illness surrounded by her family. A viewing will be held from 4 pm to 6 pm on Monday, April 22, 2019 with a Rosary to follow at 6 pm at Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 am on Tuesday, April 23, 2019 at Our Lady of Good Council Catholic Church and burial will follow at Mountain View Cemetery.

Phyllis was born on March 15, 1925, the youngest of four children to Antero and Josefa Jayo Arrillaga in Mountain Home. She graduated from Mountain Home High School in 1943. She excelled in many sports and endeavors in high school, including drum majorette, tennis, and basketball. She met Ollie Bate and they were married on August 19, 1950 at Our Lady of Good Council Catholic Church. They purchased a house on Mountain View Drive six houses away from her sister Mary and Wally Read and raised three children with the help of her mother. Mom was 110 % Basque and was very proud of her heritage. She attended every Basque event that was held including all Jaialdis held in Boise and several Basque picnics in Mountain Home and Elko. She was very talented as a vocalist and began singing in the church choir when she was 8 years old. I wish I had a nickel for every wedding and funeral that she sang for as I would be a rich woman.

Mom worked in every bank in Mountain Home during her married life. She was also the main cheerleader for her children and almost got kicked out of several basketball games for supporting her boys at games when Dad was still working for the school district. She also loved to gamble. She was a member of Our Lady of Good Council Choir, Euskal Lagunak and the Biotzetik Basque Choir.

Phyllis is survived by her daughter Marianne, her sons Jeff, and Mike (April), grandchildren Melissa (Kenyon), Ryan Bate, Melanie (Nick Ysursa), Tyler (Tara), Kelcie (Hunter), two great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. She is also survived by two sisters-in-law, Janet Ramsey (Ken) and Thelma (Sis) Christensen.

She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Ollie, brothers John and Joe, sister Mary, brothers-in-law Roy (Hazel) and Chuck Bate, niece Kristine Dee (Bob), and nephew Mike Arrillaga Sr. (Loraine).

Special thanks to her niece DeeDee Todd (Carl) and Jessica Gomez (Daniel) and her children for taking such good care of Tia for the last 2 years plus. We also would like to thank all the staff and doctors at St Luke’s Elmore for the tender care and love that was extended to Mom during her stay at the hospital.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Euskal Lagunak, P. O. Box 88, Mountain Home, ID 83647 or the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, 611 West Grove Street, Boise, ID 83702.

(obituary published in Mountainhomenews.com on April 19, 2019)