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My ORMAETXEA Family Here we are with Amuma Begona (Feb. 2004) Follow this link to follow my Ormaetxea family:  Ormaetxea Relatives My "Amuma" Begoña was born in Ibarrangelua in the province of Bizkaia in the Basque Country. Her childhood home was Gaztaina in Kanala Unfortunately, this farmhouse burned down and we lost most of our family photo memories. Her parents were: Juan Ormaetxea Urquiza, whose parents were Francisco Ormaetxea & Agustina Urquiza Apolonia Perez Bilbao, but we don't know her parents because she was adopted She was married in 1961 ORMAETXEA In modern Basque this surname is also spelled with an "H" in front.  Depending on where you are from in the Basque Country, the meaning of the first part is different.   "Horma" means "wall" on the southern (Spanish) side and "ice" on the northern (French) side; "etxea" is the Basque word for house.  The surname, however, is characteristic of the southern side, especially in Bizkaia which is where our family is from.  Thus the name means "wall-house."  Historically, surnames are a recent innovation; e.g., Jesus didn't have a last name.  When Basques had to select one, they just looked around.  So an ancestor spotted a house--that had walls--and presto!  Aittitte Juan was born in Ea (shortest Basque town name) in Bizkaia then later settled in Kanala outside of Gernika.