Juanita Andueza

Juanita Sanzberro Andueza passed away peacefully in Eagle, Idaho, with family by her side, on January 29, 2024, after a lengthy battle with cancer.  She was 91.  Juanita has reunited with God and the love of her life, Agustin.  

Juanita was born September 07, 1932, in Etxalar, Navarra, located in the Basque Country of Spain, to parents Eugenio Sanzberro and Maria Presentacion Arburua. She was joined soon after by siblings Justo, Rosa and Maria Prudencia.

In 1951, while still living in the Basque Country, Juanita met and fell in love with her future husband, Agustin Andueza, as he was getting ready to emigrate to America to work as a sheepherder. Seven years later, he returned to the Basque Country and they became engaged.  In 1961, after yet another trip to America to fulfill immigration requirements, Agustin returned to the Basque Country and he and Juanita married on September 07, 1961, Juanita’s 29th birthday.

In 1962, Juanita gave birth to her first child, son Eugenio “Geno” Andueza and the following year, daughter Ana Isabel was born.  Both children were born in San Sebastian, Spain. 

In 1967, Agustin convinced Juanita to immigrate to the US.  Juanita packed up their two small children, said goodbye to her parents and relocated to Burns, Oregon, not knowing a stitch of English and never having been exposed to the culture.  Juanita immediately fell in love with Harney County and its people; she always talked about how “down to earth” everyone was and how welcomed she felt. In 1968, daughter Rosa Yvette “Rosie” Andueza was born in Boise, Idaho.

By 1974, Juanita had learned to speak English fluently and when her youngest child started school she started her own business, providing janitorial services for several local businesses as well as for many private individuals.  She tried to instill a strong work ethic in her children by bringing them along, putting them to task with the vacuum or a dust rag and teaching them the value of a hard-earned dollar.  Juanita also instilled a love of learning in her children, ensuring that they were offered the educational opportunities that were unavailable to her in the Basque Country during her youth.  Not being able to continue her education beyond the 8th grade was Juanita’s biggest disappointment in life. Regardless, she remained a life-long learner, taking private English lessons with the high school teachers in Burns, Oregon, making good use of her library card, watching many hours of public television and the history channel and asking questions…always asking questions!  

Juanita enjoyed travelling and took many trips back to the Basque Country, ensuring that her children were exposed to the Basque culture and knew their roots. She attended Basque festivals throughout the western United States and spent many summers vacationing with family in California. Juanita was active in the local Basque community and she was known around Harney County for her talents as a seamstress, gardener and canner. She participated annually in the Harney County Fair and won numerous ribbons for her contributions.  Juanita always lent a hand to anyone in need, never expecting anything in return.  Not only did Juanita give, but she also taught.  Many people of Harney County learned to knit, garden, can vegetables and speak a few words of Basque and Spanish from Juanita.  Juanita loved spending time on Steens Mountain and at Emigrant Creek, fishing with her family and friends; her domain was the frying pan where she would fry trout in olive oil and plenty of garlic!  Juanita delighted in being a grandmother of four and hosting her grandchildren in Harney County.

Juanita lost her husband Agustin in 2013.  She was also preceded in death by her parents, brother Justo and sister Prudencia (who died in childhood).  She is survived by: son Geno Andueza (Burns, Oregon), daughter Ana Andueza (Portland, Oregon), daughter Rosie Andueza (Eagle, Idaho), grandchildren Oyana Lusk (Nairobi, Kenya, Africa), Maya Lusk (San Francisco, California), Sebastian Bengoechea (Eagle, Idaho) and Olivia Bengoechea (Eagle, Idaho).

Juanita will be missed dearly by all who knew and loved her. Juanita’s legacy will live on through her children, her grandchildren, her friends and the countless individuals she touched in one way or another.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Juanita’s name to Doctors Without Borders, Ukraine and/or Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB)

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