Adela Aldamiz-Echevarria

Our dear ama and amuma Adela Aldamiz-Echevarria, 83 years old, of Boise Idaho passed away peacefully at home on June 7th. Adela was born in Gauteguiz de Arteaga, Vizcaya, Spain, on November 13, 1935 to Esteban Aldamiz-Echevarria and Martina Urriolabeitia. She grew up on her family’s basarri (farmhouse) as one of 9 siblings. At age 14 she went to work for a family in Bilbao to learn how to cook and sew. When her mother became ill she returned home and continued taking cooking lessons in Gernika. That was the beginning of her lifelong passion for cooking.
In 1959 Adela married Emeterio Ysursa and their first son Ramon was born in Gernika in 1961. The following year Adela joined her husband and began her new life in America. Adela started her journey in Boise by working at a hospital but soon left to operate the Letamendi boarding house with her husband Emeterio. After three years they transferred to the Valencia boarding house which they ran for seven years. In 1974 she started Adela’s Day Care. She enjoyed and successfully ran it until her retirement in 2017. During those 43 years she cared for hundreds of children who cherished her Basque cooking, fun backyard and farm animals.
One of Adela’s passions was raising sheep, rabbits and chickens. She also took great pride in her garden, spending her evenings tending to it. Every Saturday you could find Adela at the Main Auction always finding a treasure and getting a good deal for it. Adela was a long-time member of Euzkaldunak, where she enjoyed playing briska, attending the monthly member’s dinners and the St. Ignacio’s summer picnic and activities. She was also a faithful member of St. John’s Cathedral.
But the center of Adela’s life was her family and especially her grandchildren. They have the best memories of their time at Amuma’s house. She was the happiest when everyone was at her home, around her table, enjoying her abundant and delicious Basque meals. We remember celebrating Thanksgiving for years, savoring her tasty lamb, shrimp, jibiones (inkfish) and every other meat before we learned that we needed to incorporate turkey to the menu. She will always be remembered by her witty stories and sense of humor.
Adela is survived by her four children Ramon (Daniela) Ysursa of Boise, Luis Angel Ysursa of Mountain Home, Jose Javier Ysursa of Boise and Rosa Mari Ysursa of Meridian; eight grandchildren Antonio, Natalia and Karina Ysursa; Nerea and Nekane Davis; Nickolas Ysursa and Ariana and Mikayla Ysursa. She is also survived by three brothers Antonio, José Luis and Eugenio and a sister, Begoña all from Gernika, Spain. She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers José and Amador.
A Vigil Service will be held on June 20, 2019, 7:00pm at Cloverdale Funeral Home, 1200 N. Cloverdale Rd. in Boise. The Funeral Mass will be on June 21, 2019 at 11am at Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, 807 N 8th St. in Boise with interment to follow at Morris Hill Cemetery.