NAME: Benedicto Goitiandia
DATE OF INTERVIEW: 08-06-2001
LOCATION: Kuna, ID
INTERVEWER: Mikel and Daniel Chertudi
LANGUAGE: English
TAPE NO:
INDEXED BY: Daniel Chertudi
TAPE MINUTE SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
Tape 1
Side 1
0-10:00 Benny was born in May of 1933, in Aulestia, Spain. His parents were Francisco Goitiandia, from Murelaga, and Juliana Lekuona, from Malax. His father had come to the US twice before settling permanently in Euskadi and marrying; he was a farmer. Benny started school in Aulestia when he was 7. Classes were divided by gender, and all the grades shared a room. School was conducted in Spanish, which he had to learn quickly in order to succeed. He finished school when he was 14, and began farming with his father. His parents wanted their kids to get good educations, but the teachers were cruel, often beating the students with sticks and they were not very good. Teachers were often husband and wife. Benny recalls that his teacher threw hard rubber balls at the students if they didn’t pay attention or gave wrong answers. Benny grew up on a baserri about 2 miles from school, and had to walk back and forth to get to class, as well as for lunch. On the baserri, he helped with the animals and the fields, frequently getting up early to do chores before school, and then again afterwards. He sometimes missed school to help out at home; after the war, times were tough, and everyone had to work hard. During the war, Benny’s father was imprisoned for 5 years; he didn’t come back until Benny was 9 years old. He has 6 siblings: Matilde, Maria, Sabín, Martín, Enrique, and Beatrice (he is the oldest boy). He didn’t visit his father, who was in Santoña, because he was not allowed to, although his mother did go once or twice. His father was not guilty of any crimes, political or otherwise.
10-20:00 As a youth, Benny walked to many neighboring towns to go to different festivals with friends. He once remembers walking to Urkiola, which took all day, and part of the next (people along the way would let them stay in their houses). As he got older, Benny got a bike, and often rode to Lekeitio, where his oldest sister Matilde was studying to be a teacher. When he finished school, he worked at home, and then at a sawmill for a little while in Murelaga. He also worked at a farm in Gipuzkoa for a year. He operated a jackhammer in Murelaga for a little while after that. He decided to come to the US to avoid military conscription; he had lost many of his friends to disease in Africa and beyond. He had quite a few relatives in the US, and so had heard quite a lot about the country. Benny started his paperwork in 1951, and came over in the fall of 1952. He flew from Bilbao to San Sebastian to Paris to New York to Chicago to Boise. He flew with 4 other guys, whom he lists; 3 went to Elko. Benny stayed in New York for a day, and a nice German man, who also hated Franco, took them out to a steak dinner. They didn’t speak English at all, but the man spoke Spanish, and he also helped them back to the airport. At the airport in Boise, Benny was greeted by Bill Smith, for whose ranch his uncle was foreman (his uncle had gotten him the job in advance). He was taken straight to Mountain Home. On the way, he was quite hungry, and a man offered him what he thought was chocolate. It turned out to be chewing tobacco, which he promptly threw up. He visited his uncle for a bit before moving out to Grandview.
20-30:00 Benny wasn’t too bothered by the stark contrast between his green native Euskadi and the dry hills of Idaho. He worked for the sheep ranch for 4 years, after which he was drafted. He was drafted only 3 months after arriving in the US, and was taken to Boise for evaluation, but was told he had flat feet and was sent back to the ranch. Benny was immediately put in charge of 2700 yearlings, which he herded through the desert. His camp tender didn’t feed him enough, and Benny got so weak from hunger (he lost 20 pound in 2 weeks) that he had to be taken to St. Alphonsus Hospital. After that, he insisted on being his own camp tender. He describes his old herding route, through Grandview and Little Camas. Benny eventually became camp tender to a nice herder who played the accordion. He didn’t get real vacations, but went to a few dances in Boise, Grandview, Mountain Home, and a few other neighboring towns. Pete Barinaga had a truck and took several guys around. When he had finished shepherding (he quit because he had strong allergies to the poison ivy he kept walking through, and also because he had a hernia operation). Benny worked as a logger in Idaho City for 1 summer before moving on to a stone quarry in Winnemucca. He bought a car there in 1957—a big white and gold Plymouth with wings. He quit after a while, and moved to Boise in 1957 to work as a butcher for Gem Pack, where he stayed for about 14 years. He started lifting weights about the same time.
Side 2
0-9:00 Benny describes weightlifting. He began competing at picnics. The first one was in Boise, but he later traveled all over the West for various exhibitions. After he quit Gem Pack, he and a partner bought the Valencia, but they didn’t get along, and so they soon split up and sold it. His muscles were bothering him at that time, from working too hard, but he still worked for about 6 years for another meat packing plant. Benny was still weightlifting throughout this time (he had quit a few times, but was lured back into through bets friends made). He and his wife moved to Kuna in 1970, where he did an exhibition. He never got paid much for weightlifting, except for a little prize money and some trophies, but enjoyed doing it. His bosses were good about letting him go to exhibitions on weekends, and Benny timed them to match his days off. He also worked a lot of overtime. To supplement his income, he worked at Food King, and also butchered for area farmers. The organizations asking him to lift for their exhibitions generally covered his travel expenses. Benny initially lifted alone, but began working with José Luís Arrieta when he began lifting, and the 2 often trained together. Benny specialized in lifting the cylinders, and also the balls. He went to the World’s Fair in Spokane, lifting and chopping wood to the delight of the non-Basque observers. He also went to San Francisco, Chino, Bakersville, and big events in other places.
9-15:00 Benny next worked as killing foreman for Missouri Meat Packers for 1 year, and remembers getting a free vacation to Texas as a perk of the position. He routinely killed about 2500 cattle in 8 hours (they’re capable of doing a lot more nowadays). Benny met his wife, Tomasa Erdoiza, right after he came to the US, in 1952, at a Basque dance in Mountain Home. She lived in Bruneau at the time, and the couple began dating. They were married October 29, 1960, at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Boise. Dave Eiguren was their altar boy, Dolores Salutregui was maid of honor, and her brother Sabino was best man. They have 2 children: David was born in 1965, and Ramón was born in 1967. They spoke Basque at home, largely at Tomasa’s insistence, and both kids speak pretty well now, and a little Spanish as well. Tomasa’s parents came in the early 1900s; her father was a sheepherder, and her mother wouldn’t speak English with the kids. Tomasa lived in Bruneau, where there were few Basques, and consequently the only Euskera she spoke was with her family. In later years, this made her determined to have her kids be able to speak the language. Benny lived at Letamendi’s boarding house for a while before he was married.
15-23:00 Benny has been very involved in the Boise Basque community. He has belonged the Basque Center for many years, was vice-president for a year in 1981, and was chairman of the board for 3 years, from 1979 to 1981. He helped organize many social events, including dinners and dances. He still donates leeks for murtzillas, and helps cook them frequently. He has only missed 2 Basque picnics in Boise, and tries to go to all the ones in Winnemucca. Benny started working at the State Penitentiary in 1975, and was in charge of the butcher shop there until his retirement a year and a half ago. He also farms alfalfa on his 80 acres. Benny has recently had a knee operation, and has been exercising at the Nampa Recreation Center, where he is a member. He does not go to church regularly, but when he does, it’s in Melba, not too far away. His son David lives nearby. In his spare time, Benny enjoys hunting and fishing, and he also helps with lamb branding and shipping (as well as cooking) by Idaho City and Cougar River.
23-30:00 Benny keeps close contact with his family in the Basque country, trying to call every few weeks. He has been back to visit Euskadi several times, the 1st in 1962, with his wife. He stayed 4 months, and visited both his and his wife’s families. It has been difficult for him to go recently because of his knees and his sleep apnea. As the years went on, Benny found the modernization of Euskadi less and less appealing. Tomasa, who was born in the US, describes the 1st trip as going to another world. She really enjoyed herself, learned a lot (especially at butcher shops, marketplaces, etc, which she describes), and soon became comfortable with the language and culture. Benny describes a delicious fish he finally found again in the Basque country. They continue describing their trips back; he’s been there 6 times, she 4 times. Benny’s children have also visited Euskadi, which they very much enjoyed.
Tape 2
0-9:00 Benny’s kids have shown some interest in the Basque culture, even dancing with the Oinkaris, and Benny’s granddaughters are going to join the dance group too. He recalls that when he was younger and still living in Euskadi, his parents warned him not to lift weights, and they made him stay at home. His sons married a half-Basque and a non-Basque, and so Tomasa works hard to make sure her grandkids speak as much Euskera as possible. Benny has always been happy in the US, and wouldn’t consider living permanently in the Basque country. He never intended to move back when he came. Benny considers himself Basque 1st, then American, and the same is true of Tomasa. The couple switches off between Basque and Spanish at home. Benny became a citizen in August of 1960 (with the help of Jo Miller), and took classes to prepare for the exam. He describes the experience. He learned English mostly through working with Americans over the years. Benny remembers Vicky Urresti and Espe Alegria also helped Basques with the naturalization process.
NAMES AND PLACES
NAMES:
Alegria, Espe: helped Boise Basques
Arrieta, José Luís: Basque weightlifter
Barinaga, Pete: drove Benny to dances
Eiguren, Dave: altar boy at Benny’s wedding
Goitiandia, Beatrice: Benny’s sister
Goitiandia, David: Benny’s son
Goitiandia, Enrique: Benny’s brother
Goitiandia, Francisco: Benny’s father
Goitiandia, Marie: Benny’s sister
Goitiandia, Martín: Benny’s brother
Goitiandia, Matilde: Benny’s sister
Goitiandia, Ramón: Benny’s son
Goitiandia, Sabín: Benny’s brother
Goitiandia, Tomasa Erdoiza: Benny’s wife
Lekuona, Juliana: Benny’s mother
Letamendi family: ran boarding house in Boise
Miller, Josephine: helped Benny with his citizenship
Oinkaris: Boise Basque dancers
Salutregui, Dolores: maid of honor at Benny’s wedding
Smith, Bill: employed Benny on a ranch
Urresti, Vicky: helped Boise Basques
World’s Fair at Spokane, WA
PLACES:
Africa
Aulestia, Spain: Benny’s birthplace
Basque Center (Boise)
Bilbao, Spain
Boise, ID
Chicago, IL
Cougar River, ID
Elko, NV
Gem Pack: employed Benny
Gipuzkoa: Basque province of Spain
Grandview, ID: town where Benny herded sheep
Idaho City, ID
Malax, Spain: Benny’s mother’s birthplace
Mountain Home, ID
Murelaga, Spain: Benny’s father’s birthplace
Nampa Recreation Center
New York
Our Lady of the Rosary Church (Nampa): where Benny and Tomasa were married
Paris, France
San Sebastian (Donosti), Spain
Santoña: prison in Spain where Benny’s father was kept
Spokane, WA
Winnemucca, NV
THEMES:
Citizenship
Clubs and organizations
Immigration
Language
Sheepherders
Sports
Weightlifting
