Until he was 19, Angel helped out on the family farm, at which point he got a job in a marble mine.  In 1965, his brothers, who were working in America, got a sheepherding contract for him.  He did not speak any English when he arrived in Twin Falls, but he soon adapted to the language and enjoyed his new home very much.  Angel explains his herding schedule, which governed his days until 1970, when he began working for Boise Cascade.  He received an early retirement recently, after 30 years of work.

Angel met Joanne Guerricabeitia at a Basque picnic in 1972.  They began dating in 1984, and were married the following year.  Their two daughters, Carmen and Maite, have taken part in Basque dancing, and love to go to picnics and cultural events with their parents.  Angel became a US citizen in 1977, and has only taken one trip back to Euskadi.  Nevertheless, he still feels a strong attachment to his roots.