Maria met her husband, Julian Basterrechea, when he came to the Basque Country from America to visit his mother.  They married in 1973, and she remained in Ermua for a bit when he returned to Idaho, in order to care for a delicate pregnancy.  In 1975, she and her first son, Gorka, made the trip to the US, and the whole family settled in Homedale.  She eventually had three other children, Sonia, Mikel and Amaia.

Maria has worked in several fruit orchards in Homedale, and for a Simplot factory, until the present day.  Even though her husband is deceased, she continues to live in the Basque tradition, attending area cultural events and socializing with her many Basque friends.  After spending half her life in Euskadi, and the other in Idaho, Maria is a proud American and a proud Basque, and she has taught her children to appreciate their heritage.