Segundo was born on 5 August 1914 in Bruneau, Idaho to José Francisco Totoricagüena and Leandra Erquiaga. His father owned the Totorica Sheep Company, a large sheep ranch in Grandview, Idaho. When Segundo was 2 years old, his father left the ranch with an associate and the family moved to Guernica, where they lived until Segundo turned 16. By then, he was old enough to return to Idaho and help his father and brothers, who had come back earlier, with the ranch.
After several years at the family's ranch and other sheep outfits in Idaho and Oregon, Segundo and his brothers bought the ranch from their father. Segundo had been investing on his own, building up his personal finances. Eventually, he was in a position to buy the ranch from his brothers. He took the opportunity, becoming the sole owner of the Totorica Sheep Company in 1967. He sold the business in 1975.
Segundo and his wife, Serafina, raised their 7 children with a love for the Basque language and culture. They have taken an active role in the Boise Basque community and enjoy the Basque Center's dinners and picnics.
TAPE MINUTE SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
Tape 1
Side 1
0-10:00 Segundo was born in Bruneau, ID on August 5, 1914. His parents were José Francisco Totoricagüena, from Arbazegi and Leandra Erquiaga, from Ispaster. His father owned a large sheep ranch in Grandview, and also herded some cattle. His mother was a housewife (she didn’t have to cook for the ranch hands). Segundo and his family (which at that time numbered 5 children) moved to Spain around 1916, when he was about 2, and Segundo went to school there until he was 16. His brothers Ted and Miren were born in Spain. His father left the ranch with another man, but when hard times hit, he had to return to the US by himself to save the business. Segundo’s family lived in Gernika, where he had many relatives, and where he attended the Padres Agustinos school. Classes were composed solely of males, and there were several classes with different teachers. He studied the normal curriculum, but his favorite class was accounting. Segundo was a good student, but he remembers the friars hit students with sticks and made them hold heavy stacks of books for giving wrong answers on the blackboard. Classes were conducted in Spanish. Segundo’s family always encouraged him to do well in school.
10-21:00 After about 3 years in the Basque country, Segundo’s father had to return to Idaho to take care of his sheep business. The boys of the family went to help their father when they had finished school in Spain, traveling by themselves, and Segundo’s mother and sister s came 18 years after moving to Euskadi, right after their house had been destroyed in the bombing of Gernika in 1937. His brothers are Urbano, Leandro, and Teodoro, and his sisters are Enriqueta, Celestina, and Miren. In Spain, the family had lived in an apartment, and Enriqueta ran the adjoining fabric store, but José Francisco always sent money home. He describes his childhood in Spain: he played handball, pool, and also enjoyed swimming. He was an altar boy for 5 or 6 years at the San Juan church in Gernika (which was later destroyed in the bombing). Moving to the US wasn’t as much a choice for Segundo as a necessity, and he describes the trip. He left Le Havre on the ship “La France”, after having taken the train from Gernika. He landed in New York, and then took the train to Mountain Home, which took 3 days. He arrived on June 10th, 1930. His father and brothers were waiting for him at the station. When he first arrived his father had no work for him, so Segundo was employed by the Battle Creek Sheep Company for 1 summer, which had about 6000 sheep. He went to French Glen, Oregon, where he helped a cook at the Fine Sheep Company while simultaneously attending school for 2 years.
20-30:00 Segundo describes his first jobs in Idaho and Oregon. He spoke English very well at the time because he had taken English classes in Spain and his relatives had helped him. At home, however, the family spoke Basque. He loved to read, and particularly enjoyed American western novels. He describes the small school he attended in French Glenn; it was a 1-room schoolhouse with about 50 students, and he was the only Basque pupil. None of his family lived in French Glenn. Serafina points out some photographs. Segundo’s had expected the US to be more like his cowboy books, but was not entirely disappointed by what he saw; he liked America. After French Glenn, he went to work for the John Barinaga sheep ranch.
Side 2
0-10:00 The Barinaga sheep outfit was based somewhere else in Oregon, and Segundo worked there for about 2 years. He then began to work for his father. His father’s business associate was a French Basque man. Soon, all four children were working with their father, and bought it from him. Teodoro and Segundo then sold their shares to the other 2 brothers in order to return to Euskadi in 1952 to find brides. After he got married, Segundo returned to Idaho, where he and Urbano became partners in the Totorica Sheep company. From 1967 to 1975, Segundo was the sole owner of the company. Segundo discusses his shepherding days; when his father retired, he moved into a dairy farm on Maple Grove Road in Boise.
10-21:00 Ted and Segundo had a double wedding in the Basque country. Their father had come with them. They had met their future wives in a coffee shop, where they worked (the 2 girls were best friends). Serafina and Mari Carmen were invited to Bilbao for a fair, then the 2 couples dated about 5 months before marrying in the Santa Maria church in Gernika on October 9, 1952. They all went to the US in 1953. Segundo says it was important for him to marry a Basque girl (Serafina quips that American girls intimidated him too much). He moved back to the US with his wife on February 20, 1953, on the ship ‘United States’. He describes the ship and voyage. They had purchased a car in France, and so had to drive to France to sell it back. The ship left from Le Havre and arrived in New York, where the couple stayed at the Aguirre boarding house for a few days. They then took a train to Boise. Since Segundo was a citizen, Serafina had no problems getting her green card. She became a citizen in 1964. In Boise, they stayed with Segundo’s parents for about a week, then got an apartment with Carmen and Ted. In September of the same year, Segundo bought his brother’s half of the sheep company and moved to Grandview with his wife, who was not impressed with the tiny town (she said it was liking “moving to Hell”).
21-30:00 Segundo was partners with Urbano until 1967, when he bought his brother out. They remodeled the house, and he mainly supplied his sheepherders and ranched. Urbano had always been the rancher, and Segundo the sheep man, so when Urbano moved, his brother had little idea how to ranch. He hired a man named Gilbert (from 1967 to 1975) to do this for him, claimed 50 percent of the output, and bought the other 50 to feed the sheep. In 1972, they began selling the business in yearly installments (for tax purposes) to Mr. Gilbert, Ace Black, and Mitchell Quintana, then moved to Boise in 1975. Segundo talks about his love of investing, which began at a very early age.
Tape 2
0-7:30 Segundo continues talking about investing, with which he never had any professional help. His wife insists on several occasions where he lost money, even though he asserts he has been generally successful. He did his own income taxes until a few years ago, as well. Segundo and Serafina have 7 kids: Richard in 1953, Irene in 1954, Miren in 1956, George in 1957, Connie and Carol (twins) in 1962, and Ralph in 1965. The family always spoke Basque at home, and the oldest kids even had a bit of trouble adjusting to school in Grandview, although they went on to succeed wonderfully (1 daughter was her class’s valedictorian). The kids have all been to college.
7:30-15:00 Segundo and his wife have been members of the Basque Center since 1975, when they moved to Boise, but have not served on the board. They go to the picnics and the members’ dinners, they used to go to the Sheepherders Ball, and 3 of their children used to drive all the way to Boise from Grandview to dance with the Oinkaris. Since he retired in 1975, Segundo had time to watch the stock market, and even began learning golf in recent years. They attend St. Mark’s church, but don’t volunteer much. Their 1st trip back to the Basque country was in 1960, with their 4 oldest children. It was not very different for her. In 1971, they brought the 3 new children. In 1975, they went themselves, then again in 1980, 1984 with a daughter, and 1987. Segundo has not been back since then, though Serafina went again in 1992, 1997 and 2001, and intends to continue doing so, even though her husband doesn’t like for her to be gone for too long.
15-18:30 Serafina has more close relatives in Euskadi than Segundo has, and so keeps in closer contact with the country than he does. He describes some of the differences he noticed in the Basque country over the years, including the bombing of Gernika. He has always felt comfortable there, but enjoys Boise a lot. The couple feels primarily Basque, then American, but their kids have been thoroughly Americanized, and have all married outside of the Basque culture.
NAMES AND PLACES
NAMES:
Black, Ace: worked with Segundo in Grandview
Erquiaga, Leandra: Segundo’s mother
Gilbert, Mr.: worked with Segundo in Grandview
Barinaga, John: employed Segundo on his sheep ranch for a while
La France: ship that took Segundo to America
Oinkaris: Boise Basque dancers
Padres Agustinos: friars who taught Segundo in Spain
Quintana, Mitchell: worked with Segundo in Grandview
Totoricagüena, Carol: Segundo’s daughter
Totoricagüena, Celestina: Segundo’s sister
Totoricagüena, Connie: Segundo’s daughter
Totoricagüena, Enriqueta: Segundo’s sister
Totoricagüena, George: Segundo’s son
Totoricagüena, Irene: Segundo’s daughter
Totoricagüena, José Francisco: Segundo’s father
Totoricagüena, Leandro: Segundo’s brother
Totoricagüena, Mari Carmen: Ted Totoricagüena’s wife
Totoricagüena, Miren: Segundo’s daughter
Totoricagüena, Miren: Segundo’s sister
Totoricagüena, Ralph: Segundo’s son
Totoricagüena, Richard: Segundo’s son
Totoricagüena, Serafina: Segundo’s wife
Totoricagüena, Teodoro: Segundo’s brother
Totoricagüena, Urbano: Segundo’s brother
United States: ship that took Segundo and his wife to America
PLACES:
Arbazegi, Spain: Segundo’s father’s birthplace
Basque Center (Boise)
Battle Creek Sheep Company: employed Segundo
Boise, ID
Bruneau, ID: Segundo’s birthplace
Fine Sheep Company
French Glen, OR
Gernika, Spain: Segundo lived here when he moved to Spain as a child
Grandview, ID
Ispaster, Spain: Segundo’s mother’s birthplace
Le Havre, France: port of departure for the US
New York: port of entry to the US
San Juan church (Gernika): Segundo was an altar boy here for about 5 or 6 years
St. Mark’s church (Boise): Segundo’s current church
Totorica Sheep Company: Segundo was the sole owner for a while
THEMES:
Immigration
Language
Travel
Citizenship
Dancing
Education
Religion