Idaho: Unboxing Gems of the Past

Have you ever whispered a wish about your family's past, only to have the universe answer in the most unexpected way? What if the voices you thought were lost forever were actually just waiting in a dusty corner, ready to transport you back to the heart of your family's story?

That's exactly what happened to Jen Iverson when she spoke these words: "What I wouldn't give to hear Grandpa's music again." Just two days later, she would discover a treasure that would transform her entire family's connection to their Idaho heritage and prove that sometimes our most precious family gems are hiding in the most ordinary places.

A Musical Time Machine Discovered

"I put the headphones on and it's funny, I don't even know how I picked that tape out of there, but the first tape I put in was a duet of my great grandparents singing, like just right out of the gates. It was that duet of them singing and I just cried."

Jen's story begins with a simple act of service - cleaning out her uncle's nursing home room before Christmas. What she found underneath his desk would answer prayers she'd barely dared to voice: a brown case filled with cassette tapes labeled in her great-grandmother's careful handwriting. These weren't just any recordings - they were performances by Arnold Steed and his band, The Twilighters, captured in the 1970s and 80s at senior centers and community events throughout Pocatello, Idaho.

The moment Jen heard those voices again at the Family History Center, something magical happened. Music became her family's time machine, instantly connecting her not just to her great-grandfather's rich, booming voice, but to the entire tapestry of their Idaho story - from migratory beekeeping adventures to multi-generational traditions that continue today.

The Whole Story

If you haven't already heard Jen's incredible discovery story, take a moment to listen in:

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🎧 Listen to the full episode to discover:

• The unexpected nursing home discovery that changed everything
• How Jen digitized 14 cassette tapes at her local Family History Center
• The emotional moment of hearing her great-grandparents' voices after decades of silence
• Arnold Steed's legacy as a drummer and vocalist with The Twilighters band
• Why Idaho's small communities create such powerful family connections
• How music bridges generational gaps in ways photos and documents cannot
• The ongoing family traditions that keep their Idaho roots alive across generations

The Power of One Story

Arnold Steed's story reminds us that family history isn't just about dates and documents - it's about the voices, the laughter, and the music that made our ancestors fully human. His 15+ years of volunteer performances at senior centers with The Twilighters earned him Idaho's Volunteer of the Year award in 1979, but more importantly, those performances created a legacy of service and joy that still echoes through his family today.

"Music is kind of like a time machine. It can take any of us, whether we have dementia or not, back to a place and a time in our lives. You hear a song, you connect it with a memory, sometimes you can feel the emotions and smell the smells and certainly it connects you with the people."

What strikes me most about Jen's discovery is how it instantly transformed abstract family history into living memory. Her great-grandfather wasn't just a name on a family tree anymore - he was a voice singing "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" and "Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me," bringing joy to elderly residents while his great-granddaughter listened decades later with tears of recognition and love.

Your Story

Think about the voices in your family that you wish you could hear again. Are there musicians, storytellers, or family members whose laughter you miss? Sometimes these treasures are closer than we think, waiting in attics, basements, or even nursing home storage rooms.

Story Seeds 🌱

Plant these conversation starters and watch your family stories grow.

1. For older relatives: "Do you remember any family members who were musical or performed for others? What songs did they love to sing or play?"
2. For siblings/cousins: "What do you remember about the voices of our grandparents or great-grandparents? Can you still hear them saying certain phrases or singing particular songs?"
3. For parents: "Are there any old recordings, cassette tapes, or home movies tucked away that we haven't listened to in years? What memories do those voices bring back?"
4. For family historians: "Have you checked with family members in assisted living or nursing homes about items they might have stored away? Sometimes our most precious family artifacts end up in the most unexpected places."

Story Sparks 🔑

Unlock your family's hidden stories with these research techniques.

1. Visit your local Family History Center to explore their digitization equipment. Many centers have cassette players, VHS converters, and other tools available for free to help you preserve old recordings and home movies.
2. Search Newspapers.com for mentions of family bands, performers, or community volunteers. Look for coverage of events your ancestors might have participated in.
3. Upload audio recordings to Ancestry as memories attached to your ancestors' profiles. These voice recordings become incredibly precious family treasures that can be preserved and shared with relatives.

Jen's story teaches us that family history lives in more than just documents and photographs. Sometimes our most profound connections to the past come through voices we thought were lost forever, waiting patiently in forgotten corners to remind us that love, music, and family traditions have the power to transcend time itself.

Ready to discover more stories like Jen's? Subscribe to Stories That Live In Us wherever you get your podcasts. And if this episode touched your heart, please leave us a rating and review - it helps other family story seekers find us just like Jen found her grandfather's forgotten songs.

© 2025 Crista Cowan. All rights reserved.