Who in the United States, especially those in California and the west, hadn’t’ tried the Basque sauce made by the Basque company. In the country of barbecues, this was the preferred sauce of many BBQ fans. The company and the sauce were created in 1980 by immigrant from Navarre, Ramon Ylarregui, who sold it in 2015. Ramon Ylarregui passed away a few days ago. His rosary will be held today at 6pm at the Farewell Funeral Chapel in Fresno. His funeral, on Tuesday, at 10am at the Shrine of St. Therese.
Madera, CA. Ramon Ylarregui was born in Itsaso, Navarre in Basaburua, Ultzamaldea, on February 23, 1930, the third child born to María Aldareguia and Juan Ylarregui, being his two older brothers Bautista and Jose and his lyounger sister Rosalia. He passed away on Tuesday, December 5 at the age of 87 in Madera.
He immigrated to the United States in 1954 to work as a sheepherder for his uncle Miguel Ylarregui. Raymond was a restless man and undertook other businesses with other Basques, he worked in a dairy and on Phil Erro’s ranch in Caruthers, always in the area of Fresno and the San Joaquin Valley.
He married a Basque, Dora Larrea, in 1962. They had a son, Michael. Raymond owned an 80-acre ranch in this area of numerous Basque settlements while working on jobs for other ranchers. He also worked for the Laguna Irrigation District, and for his cousin Clarence Ylarregui.
In 1980 he founded the business that would secure his future, baptizing it Basque Company and making “Basque” sauce in this land of barbecues, grills and roasts. He was successful and years later he would add a fish sauce to his original meat sauce. He sold the business in 2015 after 35 years, for a good sum, although he never wanted to give the details. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Dora and his two older brothers. He is survived by his sister Rosalia, son Michael and his wife Tiffany, and his companion Rebecca Lindholm.
EuskalKultura.com spoke with Raymond just over two and a half years ago, when he sold the business, in a conversation with Ander Egiluz. Gogoan Bego, Ramon (complete obituary is available at The Fresno Bee and Legacy.com)
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