Yvonne graduated from St. Teresa's Academy in 1955, studied business at Links Business College for 2 years, and decided to join the workforce.  She worked as a bookkeeper for a finance company in Boise for two years, then for an insurance company, and finally for Idaho First National Bank.  She married Jim Echevarria, a childhood friend, in 1960, and left her job at the bank to raise a family.  She returned to the workforce when her youngest child was in the eighth grade, finding a position as the manager for the lunch program at Hillside Junior High School.

Spending time with her family is at the top of Yvonne's list of priorities, and she has made it a point to instill a love of Basque culture in her children.  An active member of the Basque Center in Boise, Yvonne has lived her heritage to its fullest extent, and provides personal insight into what it means to be Basque in the United States.