A Prominent Member of Boises Basque Community passes away, a loving woman who will be missed

Isabel Larrondo Jausoro, 85 of Boise, passed quietly from the realm of family and friends to be with Our Lord on Friday, Aug. 31, 2007 at St. Alphonsus hospital. Funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Mark's Catholic Church. Burial was at Morris Hill Cemetery. Isabel Larrondo, daughter of Hilario and Maria Gastanaga Larrondo, was born Sept. 23, 1921 at Glenns Ferry, Idaho. She spent her early years with her family on their farm in the canyon country near the Snake River. Isabel completed two years of high school at Glenns Ferry before moving with her family to the Boise Valley in 1937.

She was a graduate of the Boise High School class of 1939. After graduating, Isabel taught school one year in Grandview before moving back to Boise and working for the Cash Bazaar Department Store for a time. She later started working for the State Chamber of Commerce becoming a source of Idaho information for the next 15 years. After the war, Isabel came to know a local musician from Nampa who traveled throughout the valley playing his accordion at various dances and Basque boarding houses.

Isabel married Jim Jausoro, in Meridian on June 27, 1953. Throughout her life with Jim she encouraged and supported him as he played his accordion wherever and whenever Basque music was needed. Her commitment, her faith and her sacrifices were enduring factors in their marriage and his success as a Basque musician. Their first daughter Marie was born in Nov. 1957. Three years later Anita was born.

As charter members of the Basque Center, Euzkaldunak, Isabel and Jim were involved in its activities from beginning to end. Before her girls arrived, Isabel was a member of the Basque Girls Club - one of the original fund raising groups within the Basque Center.

During their 51 years of marriage, Isabel was an enduring force, providing the stability for a family environment that helped make Jim a better musician and a better person. Besides being an excellent cook and a hard worker, she was a wonderful, caring person and a terrific wife, mother and grandmother, aunt and cousin.

Her Catholic faith was important to her and it laid the foundation for the relationships in all areas of her life. Isabel was happiest when she could provide a wonderful meal for her family and extended family - which was often. In appreciation of her ongoing support of Jim and her participation in various Basque Center activities, Isabel received a Lifetime Legacy award in 2006. Additionally, Isabel was instrumental in the formation of the first Basque Music Camp in 1973 at Bogus Basin.

[Jim and Isabel Jausoro with their family. Standing (left to right) son-in-law, Brian Day, daughter, Marie Day, granddaughter, Danielle Day, husband Jim Jausoro, and daughter Anita Jausoro. Sitting (left to right) sister, Mary Larrondo and Isabel Jausoro.]

She is survived by daughters Anita Jausoro, Marie Day, son-in-law Bryan Day, granddaughter Danielle Day, sisters Mary Larrondo and Anna Montgomery, sisters-in-law Annalee Larrondo and Lydia Jausoro and many, many nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her husband Jim, brothers Fernando (Fergie), Joe, and John Larrondo, brothers-in-law Joe, Louie and Tony Jausoro, sisters-in-law Marie Bermensolo and Lola Wickham.

Related links

An interview with her (2001) by Daniel Chertudi
At Oroitzapenak, Boise Basque Oral History Project

Interview with Jim & Isabel Jausoro at Euskadi Irratia (1996)
Basque Music Camp Pioneers

Idaho Loses One of Its Great Treasures
By Patty Miller at EuskalKultura.com

'Fallece el histórico acordeonista Jim Jausoro'
Published 12-04-2004 at EuskalKultura.com

euskalkultura.eus

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