Montevideo, Uruguay. Immigrant from Larraul (Gipuzkoa) to Uruguay in the 50s, Alex Tejeria – Alejandra Tejeria Amunarriz – passed away on Friday, February 22nd at the age of 87 in Montevideo, the city whose Basque life she contributed greatly to. She married David Bengoa, from Mungia, and became a widow in 1984. They had a daughter, Maite, another reference of the Basque culture in Uruguay and Montevideo in general, and in relation to the Haize Hegoa Basque Club in the capital city.
Alex Tejeria have been a member of the Centro Euskaro and the Society of Euskal Erria in Montevideo, and some thirty years ago, along with a group of Basques in Uruguay, founded the Haize Hegoa Basque Club in her own house which met and had its headquarters in the premises ceded by her. The following lines of farewell to their friend and companion, reproduced below, was sent by Haize Hegoa.
Alex, as we all knew her had, to the last moment, that firm, strong, straightforward character. She did and asked other to. Order was paramount in her house and thus inculcated it to her daughter Maite and of course to everyone that surrounded her in the extraordinary tasks of her home.
Since coming from Larraul, she worked as she was used to her her paternal home “Larrola.”
She came alone, with little luggage, escaping from a very difficult situation after suffering two wars, one at home, and the other misnamed “world.”
She left a big family suffering her departure, but sure that her life would be better in this land of promise.
She turned her knowledge, and experiences to everyone who wanted to listen at her favorite place, her Etxea, around the dining room table with a bottle of homemade red wine and sharing the bread of the day with chorizo, cheese or fish leftover from lunch, or the night before. Her friendly, clear, vivid speech, with memories sowing in us part of the ancient culture that we absorbed to later spread.
She was an integral part of three clubs in Montevideo that she joined in order to share what she had left behind in the Basque Country.
She had one daughter, but has many stepchildren and grandchildren who today make up the Haize Hegoa family who grew up sharing the Basque culture in her house, garaje, cellar, with her wine and preserves.
She was the etxekoandre…She has now passed on her wooden spoon to Maite who surely knows how to honor it.
Alex’s voice, her look and her pointed finger will float throughout all activities at the txoko…
She is once again with her life companion, David Bengoa, fighting over not understanding Euskera…since one speaks bizkaino and the other giputxe…
Goian bego!!
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