John paints a picture of Castleford Basque social life at the time he was growing up.  There were a handful of Basque families, and several sheep outfits that attracted Basque herders.  As he went through school, there were few Basques his age, and he was separated from the culture even more when he went to the University of Idaho to study agriculture.  He married Jesse Draney in 1941, and the couple has raised two children.

Family life dramatically increased John's interaction with the Basque culture.  His children became very interested in their heritage, and as a result, the whole family began attending area cultural events.  Today, John and his wife are members of the Gooding Basque Association and the Basque Museum in Boise.