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Dover, NJ. It is a tradition in the US that the President congratulates those that celebrate their hundredth birthday with a card.  This isn’t a unique case since in the year 2010 there were more than 50,000 centenarians, but it is a safe bet to say that Delfina Uriarte is one of the few from Busturia who has received a card from Barack and Michelle Obama.  Not bad, but if she were Irish she would have also received a card from the President of Ireland along with a check for 2,500 Euros, known as the “Centenarians Bounty.”

[Birthday card sent to Delfina Uriarte by Barack and Michelle Obama (photoDiana Ugalde)]

Delfina Uriarte was born in Altamira, a neighborhood of Busturia, Bizkaia in 1914 and came to the US in 1939 with her husband Angel Uriarte.  He had already been in the US, where he came the first time at the age of 6 with his family.  His father was a sailor and worked in New York.  Angel was also a sailor and became the Chief Engineer of the Grace Line.  “My father was also from Altamira and after being convinced by his grandmother, returned to Busturia, he met my mom and they were married,” Diana, Delfina's daughter tells EuskalKultura.com.  

[Delfina and Angel on their wedding day (photoDianaUgalde)]

The family settled in Brooklyn where their children were born, Jose Luis and Diana.  The Basque Club in the US was one of the meeting places for the family that has maintained a close relationship with the local Basque community.  Delfina always spoke Basque to her children and still looks great at 100 years old, that she celebrated on March 13^th.  Zorionak Delfina!