Julia Echevarria Bertz, 83, won her long battle with Alzheimer's disease and passed to a better place
on July 23, 2012. She spent her final days at home surrounded by her family and friends.
She was born July 1, 1929, to Aurora Plaza Echevarria and Bonifacio Echevarria on the Dooley Ranch in
Paradise Valley, Nevada. Julie grew up in Paradise Valley and attended Paradise Valley School
through her sophomore year. She then lived with family in Homedale, Idaho, where she graduated
from Homedale High School.
In 1949 she met the love of her life, Louie Bertz and married him on Aug. 23, 1949. They had four children, Vicki, Dennis, Rick and Andrea and over the next 40+ years enjoyed a wonderful family life filled with lots of love and laughter. The Bertz family home was always open to everyone and Louie and Julie were "Mom and Dad" to lots of extra kids over the years.
Julie was a Keno writer for a number of years at the Nevada Club in Reno and in the 1960s helped Joe Mackie's Star Broiler break the city ordinance against women gaming dealers. She also worked as a telephone operator, a bookkeeper for L.W. Peraldo Co., and finally as a realtor for Sonoma Realty Century 21 until her retirement.
Next to her family, Julie's greatest passion in life was golf. She was an accomplished and avid golfer and until her illness advanced was an active member of the Winnemucca Ladies Golf Club. She and Louie loved to travel and play golf and they instilled a love for the game in their children and grandchildren. She was fiercely proud of her Basque heritage and was a member for many years of Euskaldunak Danak Bat and more recently of the Santa Rosa Basque Club.
Julie was preceded in death by her parents, Bonifacio Echevarria and Aurora and Vie Arzuaga, her
husband Louie, son Rick, son-in-law Emile Goyhenetche, sisters Anesita Miller and Amelia Boyd,
brother Joe "Dooley" Echevarria and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
She is survived by her brother Vie Arzuaga and his longtime companion Patsy York of Reno,
Nevada, children Vicki and Terry Gabiola of Winnemucca, Andrea and Adam Krueger of Meridian,
Idaho, Dennis and Jennifer Bertz of Pahrump, Nevada, son-in-law Chris Miller of San Francisco,
Calif., grandchildren Dominic Gabiola, Wil Bertz, Zoe Bertz, Maialen Goyhenetche, Eric
Goyhenetche, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Julie's earthly body is being cremated and graveside services and a celebration of her life will be held
in Paradise Valley on Sept. 15, 2012. In lieu of flowers, her family requests that donations be
made in her name to Winnemucca Ladies Golf Club at P.O. Box 1538, Winnemucca, NV 89446 or
Humboldt County Volunteer Hospice at P.O. Box 843, Winnemucca, NV 89446.
Julie's family wishes to thank her companion and caregiver Jayme Bell, Lisa Jonkey, Kayla and
Yolanda of Genesis Healthcare and Cindy and Sherry from Hospice for all their kindness and
compassion in helping Julie on her final journey.
Those wishing to share thoughts with the family may do so at albertsonfuneralhome.com.
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