Hundreds turn out to honor Cenarrusa at funeral

BOISE (AP) - Friends, relatives, supporters and Idaho's highest-profile politicians turned out Friday to honor the life of political legend Pete Cenarrusa, a sheep rancher who became the state's longest serving elected official.

Cenarrusa, who retired as Secretary of State in 2003 after serving nearly 36 years in the post, died Sunday at age 95 after a bout with lung cancer.

His protege, Ben Ysursa, led the eulogy during the funeral at St. John's Cathedral in downtown Boise, describing his former boss as a man who lived by the golden rule, loved his family, country and ancestral home, the Basque region in northern Spain and southern France.

The Idaho Statesman estimated that about 600 people attended the funeral, including Gov. Butch Otter, and former Govs. Cecil Andrus and Phil Batt. Other notable political figures included former U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, Lt. Gov. Brad Little and former House Speaker Bruce Newcomb.

Ysursa, who has served three terms as Secretary of State, closed his eulogy by saying he is still mistakenly called "Pete" or "Cenarrusa." He recalled how a friend once asked if being mistaken like that offended his politician's ego.