Jose Larrea

Jose Luis Larrea, 76, of Meridian, passed away on Feb. 15, 2013, at a Meridian care center.

A rosary will be held at 6 p.m., on Thursday, Feb. 21, at St. John's Chapel in Boise. A funeral mass will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Friday, Feb. 22, at St. John's Cathedral in Boise. Burial will be held at noon on Saturday, Feb. 23, at Mountain View Cemetery in Mountain Home. Arrangements are under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel in Mountain Home.

Luis was born to Jose Esteban Larrea Asla and Petra Zubiaga Foruria on April 1, 1936, in Busturia, Bizkaia, Spain. He emigrated from the Basque Country to the United States in 1955 at the age of 19 to herd sheep for the Jim Russell Sheep Company in Hammett, Idaho. After sheepherding, Luis worked various jobs until starting Luis Larrea Trucking business hauling hay in the early 1960s.

In the fall of 1962, Luis married Arlene Andersen. They had three children, Bryan (1963), Kelly (1965) and Maria (1972). For 16 years, Arlene focused on raising the children while Luis worked long hours establishing his trucking enterprise.

On Dec. 22, 1988, Luis married Ramona Lasuen of Mountain Home. They enjoyed traveling to various Basque festivals and dances, long drives listening to music in search of potential hay purchases, and a summer trip to the Basque Country in 2004.

Luis always made time to listen to a good accordion musician or to play a hand of blackjack.

Luis is survived by: his wife, Ramona Larrea, of Meridian; his son, Bryan Larrea (Nikki), of Caldwell; his son, Kelly Larrea, of Nampa; his daughter, Maria Williams (Dave), of Nampa; his brother, Joe Larrea (Sheila), of Nampa; his brother, Nick Larrea (Jan), of Meridian; his sister, Maribel Larrea, of Benidorm, Spain; his brother, Ray Larrea (Judy), of Meridian; his sister, Nieves of San Antonio, Texas; his sister, Mari Sol (Rey), of Burke, Virginia; his 15 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. Luis was preceded in death by his parents Jose Esteban and Petra, and his sister Begonia.

Memorial contributions may be made in his name to the Euskal Lagunak Basque Association, P.O. Box 88, Mountain Home, ID 83647.