Woman shares pictures from old yearbooks online

It all started on Facebook, when a woman named Sharon Culver asked Cyndi Campbell if she was related to someone named Apollonia Bauer — who happens to be Campbell’s great aunt.

After messaging each other back and forth, Culver asked Campbell if she wanted Bauer’s 1937, 1938 and 1939 yearbooks from American Falls High School. Campbell was excited at the chance to get her hands on lost family possessions, but she became overwhelmed when Culver wouldn’t accept anything for them.

“She told me that she gets her joy out of returning lost items to people,” Campbell said.

Overwhelmed by the kindness, Campbell posted a ‘thank you’ to Culver on Facebook, as well as some photos of her great aunt. As she figured out a way to pay-it-forward, she realized she could do what Culver did and help people get pictures of their loved ones. Specifically, on a Facebook group where many people from American Falls are a part of called, “AMERICAN FALLS IDAHO IS WHERE I GREW UP!”

Campbell posted in the group asking if anyone would like for her to find pictures, and then she said “it just kind of snowballed from there.”

The post elicited many people asking for pictures of their family members. Campbell responded to each request with pictures, and even offered to make people copies. She said it helped give her a taste of what Culver does.

“It’s exciting, it’s fun and it just brightens your day to be able to give people something they didn’t know they were missing,” Campbell said.

Overall, the experience possibly sparked a new hobby for Campbell.

“I would love to be able to dedicate all my time doing this kind of thing, because it is very rewarding,” she said. “I can only imagine how great it would be to be able to reunite people with their things all the time.”

As an added bonus, inside one of the yearbooks was a program and invitation to the 1939 graduation ceremony. It also included one of Bauer’s report cards, signed by Campbell’s great grandfather.