The bell choir at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church began cooking up sweet treats for the summer concert series in 1974 when then-Assistant Conductor Keith Altemeier suggested to his wife, Jan, that concert goers sitting in the summer heat at Oleson Park might enjoy ice cream.

According to Jan Altemeier, after the suggestion was made, the women in the bell choir went to work cooking up baked goods and homemade ice cream for the concerts.

The ice cream became such a staple at King Band concerts that they were making 40 to 45 batches of homemade ice cream every single week.

“It was homemade so we used the church kitchen,” said Jan Altemeier. “We had to cook it because of the eggs and all of the cream. We had at least six ice cream makers going at any given time outside of the church. When it rained, we’d bring them inside and put one in each of the church’s triple sinks. It’s messy. The motors on ice cream makers go out pretty quickly when you’re making that many batches of ice cream.”

-Messenger file photo
Russ Christensen, of Humboldt, smiles as he picks up two cups of homemade ice cream from the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Bell Choir’s stand on June 9, 2019, at the Karl L. King Municipal Band concert. The church sold ice cream at the King Band concerts from 1974 to 2024 to raise money for the church's bell choir. This year, the Southeast Valley Fine Arts Boosters are raising money for students to travel to Branson this upcoming spring.

Many concert attendees arrived early just to get the homemade ice cream and baked goods, and the line from the shelterhouse at Oleson Park was often long.

“We had two people taking money, two people dipping ice cream, and more taking care of baked goods,” said Altemeier. “It was a well-oiled machine, and I’m so glad to know that people enjoyed it.”

But at the close of the 2024 King Band season, the bell choir reconvened and decided that it was time to pass on the ice cream scoop to the next group of fundraisers.

“We had purchased the octaves and the items that we needed for bell choir, and we have a good savings in the bank,” said Altemeier. “Every Sunday was a lot of work, and we decided it was time.”

At the season’s opening concert, the shelterhouse sat empty with many questions from loyal attendees about where the church ladies and their famous ice cream were at.

-Messenger photo by Kelli Bloomquist
Blake Bloomquist cuts brownies for the ice cream and treats fundraiser at the Karl L. King Municipal Band concert on Sunday.

With the opening, the Southeast Valley High School band and choir, alongside the school’s fine arts booster club, stepped in and have been providing brownies, cake, and have continued the ice cream tradition at the summer concert series.

“As a band director, learning that Good Shepherd was stepping down from years of providing ice cream and treats for the Karl L. King Band concerts, I knew there was an opportunity to continue the tradition,” said Megan Cassady, Southeast Valley High School band director. “Southeast Valley came in and we are so grateful for the support from the audience stepping into the role. I grew up going to the concerts and always enjoyed the treats. It’s great being on the other side as a player and having my school provide goodies for fundraising opportunities.”

According to Cassady, the students are currently fundraising for an upcoming band and choir trip to Branson, Missouri, in the spring. The students also plan to continue dishing up ice cream and brownies for the upcoming 2026 season.

The final Karl L. King Band concert of the summer will be held Sunday at Oleson Park, and ice cream and sweet treats will once again be available for attendees.

“I enjoy the concerts, and I’m so glad that so many also enjoy the ice cream tradition,” said Altemeier.