The Plenary Session of the Government of the Bizkaian town of Iurreta, in the Basque Country, decided last September to express institutional public recognition and pay public tribute to Benito Ysursa, born in Iurreta in 1895 and founder of a family saga in the US, They also extend the recognition "to the people from Iurreta who emigrated and upheld our culture and language as part bof their new life". Iñaki Totorikaguena, Mayor of Iurreta will take part this weekend in Boise in a program to pay tribute to Benito Ysursa.
Iurreta, Bizkaia. The institutional public recognition includes a biographical sketch and some of the merits of Benito Ysursa. It says that "Benito Ysursa Urrutia, the son of Jose Ysursa Artabe and Clara Urrutia Lejarreta, was born in Iurreta on March 21, 1895. When he was 20 years old, in November 1915 he set sail on 'La Touraine' to the United Syayes of America where this young man from Iurreta would sttle in Boise, Idaho. He married Asuncion Camporredonde in 1919 and they had two children, Ramon and Ruby. Benito died in Boise in April, 1984 at the age of 89 and had become a US citizen in 1935 ."
"Even thought he lived outside his homeland, he loved Euskal Herria intensely and consequently spent part of his life passing on the Basque culture, music and the Basque language to his children, offspring and the community in Boise. His offspring, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, are today active and important members of the Basque community of Idaho and the Us, and 100 years since Benito left Iurreta, they continue to uphold the Basque language and our values."
"Therefore, on the centenary of his leaving Iurreta and reaching the United States of America, Iurreta Town Council believe that Benito Ysursa and his offspring are deserving of the recognition of the town of Iurreta for their work to promote the Basque culture and the Basque language in Idaho."
After that the designation of Benito Ysursa is mentioned, also the decision of informing the offspring of Benito Ysursa of the recognition by the Iurreta Town Council, and also the agreement to extend the recognition to the people from Iurreta who emigrated and upheld the Basque culture and language as part of their new life.
The last part of the resolution calls to foster ties between the town of Iurreta and Boise and the implementation of new ties between the youth of both cities in order to keep on the legacy and links that 100 years ago Benito Ysursa begun establishing and continue a century later with members of the Ysursa family in the US that keep dancing, singing, cultivating the Basque culture and talking the Basque language as part of their American lifes.
Iñaki Totorikaguena, Mayor of Iurreta will deliver personally a copy of the agreement of the town hall of Iurreta to the Ysursa family. He also will meet Mayor Bieter of Boise and representatives of the Oinkaris, the Basque C enter, the Basque Museum and Cultural Institute and some other Boisean institutions in order to keep on and develope the relations between Boise and Iurreta, focusing specially on youth.
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