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Basque Oral History Project Index Interview Tape Index
NAME: Sabala, Nick
TAPE MINUTE SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
Tape 1
Side 1
0-6:00 Augustin Sabala was born in 1899 in Ispaster and his wife, Gloria Escuela, was born in 1915 in Gooding, Idaho. The economic situation in Euskadi at that time was very bad, so Augustin took a 23-day boat trip to Idaho to meet his brother Frank. The seas were very rough and he was almost swept off the deck. Oddly enough, the ship sank on the return trip. He never did return to the Basque Country, but would often tell his children about his homeland. Nick, Augustin’s son, speculates that his father never returned to the Basque Country because of monetary reasons and that he was raising a young family.
6-13:00 When Augustin stepped foot off the train in Shoshone he only had five dollars in his pocket and, by the time he married Gloria, he had saved $6,000 and could have bought any sheep farm in Gooding County. He worked sheep for 14 years. Gloria’s family had a boarding house in Gooding, which is most likely where she and Augustin met. They were married in 1933. Nick discusses the tendency in those days of older Basque shepherds to marry younger Basque women. The family bought a home with about 2,000 north of Gooding, which is the same place Nick lives now.
13-21:00 Nick was born in the hospital in Gooding on October 30th, 1934. The doctors didn’t know if he was going to make it, but everything turned out all right. Nick had five siblings: Frank, Ray, Julia, John, and Dean. English was spoken in the home and Nick was the only child to learn Basque. Nick discusses why he was the only one of the children to learn Basque. Nick had no problems adjusting to school because he spoke English very well. At that time, there were not many Basques in Gooding, and he didn’t have any close Basque friends in his grade. Basques in the Gooding community didn’t have any real problems fitting in, though Gloria had once been called a ‘Black Basco’. Nick never felt he had anything to be ashamed of.
21-26:30 Seven or eight years ago Nick was voted into the farming hall of fame. Before that, while still in high school, he would entertain himself with the many non-Basque dances that took place almost every weekend and the annual Basque dance. Every weekend, Nick’s family would their friends would take turns hosting meals, and these meals were the highlight of the week. After graduating high school in 1953 he served for 12 years in the National Guard: the last two years were added by President Kennedy due to the Korean War.
26:30-30:30 Though he spent many years of his life in the military, Nick never intended to make a career out of it. After his honorable discharge in 1965 he bought his fathers dairy farm. He has always loved farming and the lifestyle it involves. In 1956, Nick married Shirley Ennette Moody, who he had started dating his senior year in high school.
Side 2
0-7:30 Shirley has been a tremendous partner: she never complained, she helped raise their children, and she backed Nick up 100% in all his decisions. Life in the national guard is discussed in some detail. When his father retired he had 25 cows on 240 acres of land, but after five years he had considerably more. At the time of this interview, he owned 4 18-wheelers and everything else he needs to run a great operation.
7:30-14:30 Shirley and Nick had 5 children: Helen, Susan, Mark, Mike, and Lisa. Nick describes Mark and Mike as really hard workers, and they help out a lot on the ranch. None of the children have learned Basque, and the whole group is too busy to sit down and talk about the Old Country. Nick is a member of the Gooding Basque Association, but admits that he doesn’t do as much of the work as the Basques from Spain do. Andy Lejardi is the president of the association and has been for many years. Asked why he wanted to join the association, Nick responds that the Basques in the area are such a minority, and that it’s a privilege to be a part of it. Of the children, only Helen is a member. In Nick’s mind, the association helps maintain a sense of community in a population that seems to be assimilating into the larger populace.
14:30-22:30 Nick discusses the upcoming construction of the Basque hall, which will be a venue for Basques to congregate and celebrate their community and heritage. People in the area are generally very optimistic about the entire community and the efforts they have put forth. No matter how much money the new center will cost, Nick is set on seeing it through. It’s a simple matter of helping the Basque heritage survive for future generations. He discusses prospects for the new center.
22:30-28:00 The Basque community in the Gooding area has changed a lot over the years, and there seems to be less willingness amongst the younger generations to get together for dances and other celebration. The new center will help people get together by giving them a sure place to congregate whenever they want to. Nick discusses for a time what it means to be Basque. He feels proud, lucky, and blessed to be Basque, and says that younger generations do to. Being Basque is nothing less than a privilege. He considers himself lucky to be American and Basque, and defines himself as an American Basque.
NAMES AND PLACES
NAMES: Sabala, Nick
PLACES: Ispaster
THEMES: Basque Celebrations |
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