Saint Anthony Family pays tribute to family member on Family Fued

SAINT ANTHONY, Idaho (KIFI) — For the Crain family, a casual afternoon spent scrolling through Instagram led to a journey of healing on one of America’s most iconic game show stages.

The Crains, well known in their community for local businesses ranging from a straw maze to a heating company, are staples of Saint Anthony. They never dreamed of making it on national television.

"I just filled out the paperwork," said Kierra Barnard, who submitted the application after seeing an advertisement online. "I submitted the paperwork, forgot about it, and three weeks later I get the email that we're interested in you".

Behind the excitement, a dark cloud cast a shadow of grief. A few years earlier, one of the Crain children, Garrett, tragically took his own life.

Family Feud provided a bonding moment for the family, to help heal the wounds of their major loss.
Barnard recalled watching Family Feud with Garrett and her other brothers at their grandmother’s house during their childhood. She even mentioned the loss in her audition, telling producers that Garrett was the one "you’d want to watch" on the show because of his humor.

"So I put it in our audition writing that my brother passed away last year. You wish you could have put him on your show. He would have been hilarious." said Barnard

For Misty Crain, Garrett’s mother, the experience provided a necessary reprieve from the "tremendous heartbreak" the family had endured.

"I thought, what a beautiful opportunity and blessing, that we got to do that because it was fun to laugh, to be together. Have a bonding moment." Crain said "It was just a wonderful experience where we all got to be together and just have some uplifting memories".

The family brought a distinct "small-town vibe" to the set, which led to several comedic exchanges with host Steve Harvey.

"Steve Harvey kept saying, Saint Anthony, Iowa," Kiara Crain laughed, noting they had to repeatedly correct him.

The family also joked about their local status. When Harvey asked what made someone a "big deal" in Idaho, Kiara replied that it’s when people recognize you at the local Walmart.

While the family could not reveal the results of their competition before the air date, they emphasized that the outcome was secondary to the experience.

The Crane family will host a public watch party for their upcoming appearance on "Family Feud" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at FatCats in Rexburg.



.