Dolores B. Aguirre

Dolores B. Aguirre
1921-2013
Dolores Barinaga Aguirre, age 92, of Mountain Home, passed away on Friday, November 15, 2013, at a Boise care center. A viewing will be held at 3:00 P.M., with the Rosary at 4:00 P.M., on Sunday, November 24, 2013 at Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel in Mtn Home. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 12:00 Noon, on Monday, November 25, 2013, at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church and burial will follow at Mountain View Cemetery in Mtn Home.
Dolores was born on August 10, 1921 in a Basque boarding house in Mountain Home, to immigrant parents Valentin of Markina, Vizcaya and Eulalia (Ugalde) Barinaga of Anguizar, Guipuzcoa in Spain. Dolores and her family lived in different parts of Southern Idaho while her parents built their sheep business. When she was ready to begin school, the family moved to Castleford, Idaho. Dolores spoke only the Basque language when she started school. She excelled in academics and played on the high school girls' basketball team. Dolores had a wonderful childhood. She and her good friend, Dorothy, had some great adventures. She played her violin at her high school graduation where she was class salutatorian.
After two years at the University of Idaho, she moved to Boise to live with the Julie Gandiago family. She worked as a secretary for the Idaho First National Bank. She was a member of the Basque Girls' Club. With her friend, Lydia Gandiago (Lachiando), she went to a Basque boarding house dance and met her future husband, Domingo Aguirre. They were married on December 22, 1946 at St. John's Cathedral in Boise and were married for 64 years.
Domingo and Dolores lived in Mountain Home where they raised their two daughters, Sylvia and Diana. Domingo worked for his father and later became a partner in the sheep and cattle business at their winter ranch near Mountain Home and the summer ranch at Prairie. The family moved to the Prairie ranch in the summers where Dolores loved cooking for her family and the Basque sheepherders.
Dolores was very supportive of her daughters in all of their activities. She was an active member of the school PTAs and was a room mother. She attended many extracurricular events. She always had a snack and an open ear ready for the girls after school. Dolores was an excellent seamstress and sewed for her daughters.
While her daughters were at college, Dolores enjoyed working for the County Motor Vehicle Department. Being a family oriented person, she left her job to help her parents. She took care of her mother in-law and mother in their later years.
Dolores was a fantastic cook of Basque dishes, especially her flan. Domingo encouraged her to serve it for their guest. She cooked and hosted many large family dinners, especially during holidays. The bulk of her life was spent as a partner with her husband in the sheep and cattle business. Ranch life allowed her to spend more time with her family, which was very important to her.
Dolores was an extraordinary mother and grandmother. Since the moment she saw her first grandchild, which was minutes after her birth, she expressed her delight in her eyes and smile. Seeing Angela and Rob warmed her heart. She seldom missed her grandchildren's events, whether it was a horse show, athletic event, social event, or musical at Sacred Heart and Bishop Kelly. Receiving phone calls, cards, and postcards from her grandchildren made her day. She was an exceptional grandmother.
Dolores was very devoted to her religion. We always knew we would be going to church on Sundays. She volunteered to help with many church dinners. She and Domingo loved their roles as Greeters before church services.
She always loved to have a nice yard and lawn. She learned many things about plants, flowers and gardening from her mother.
Dolores achieved her lifelong dream of visiting the Basque country in Spain, where she met her cousins and relatives for the first time. She spoke fluent Basque her whole life. Her language skills made it easy to travel through the Basque Provinces. She also achieved her dream of visiting Hawaii.
Dolores belonged to the church Altar Society and PEO. She served as President of both organizations. She also was a member of the Mountain Home and Boise Basque Associations. She was one of the founders of the Basque Center of Boise.
We can describe this wonderful woman, who was a wife, mother, and grandmother, as generous, kind, gracious, loving, spiritual, funny and just a classy lady. Her beautiful smile lit up a room. She will be missed.
We would like to especially thank the outstanding staff at The Cottages of Mountain Home for the love and care they gave Dolores over the last three years.
Dolores is survived by her two daughters, Sylvia Aguirre of Mountain Home, and Diana and her husband Robert Bush of Eagle, her two grandchildren Angela Bush of San Francisco, California and Rob Bush of Eugene, Oregon; her brother and sister in-law John and Stephanie Barinaga of Sonoma, California; her sister in-law Marilyn Barinaga of Castleford, Idaho; her brother in-law Felipe Aguirre of Mountain Home; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her husband Domingo, her parents, Valentin and Eulalia Barinaga; and her brother Joe Barinaga.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully request donations to the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, 611 W. Grove Str., Boise, ID 83702.