“Cooking Up a Special Life”
Words and music by Marianne Fridell
with Mrs. Smith’s 4th Grade Class
©2024 Marianne Fridell
I grew up in a big family on a ranching farm.
Working in the kitchen, the garden, the dairy, and cleaning out the barn.
There was lots to do, but it didn’t seem like work. It just didn’t.
We knew we had to do it, so we just did it.
We learned to entertain ourselves. Playing checkers, games, and cards.
Playing tricks on each other, sister kept us on our guard.
We’d get back at her with an outhouse tipping.
When nature called and she was in – the privy sitting.
We knew we had to tip it, so we just tipped it.
I started the hot lunch program at Hermosa School
We made up the menu, somehow, we stumbled through.
I asked the kids what they liked, and this is what they said,
“Pizza, pizza, PBJ, some cowboy bread to make my day.
Don’t forget the mac and cheese, but no thank you on the peas, please!”
(Hey, I like peas!)
Chorus
I’ve cooked since I was little for my family.
Then my family grew to be this whole community.
I’ve loved all these little people and the grown-ups too.
If I could I still would be a cookin’ for all of you.
Joker and I teamed up, his hooves would be a flyin’
Other riders ate our dust, we left them far behind.
Joker chomping at the bit, together, we had a lot of grit.
Faster, faster, faster was our pace, just to win the race.
We knew we had to win it, so we just won it.
When we walked to Rockerville School, you never knew what was watching you.
Front, back, up, and down. A mountain lion lurking around!
Frightened by its shadow, we moved speedily,
But that lion was just as scared…of my friends and me.
We knew we had to move it, so we just moved it.
Now Don and I have lived on the ranch more than 50 years.
We let someone else clean out the barn, still lots to do ‘round here.
75 years together, the years fly by in the wink of an eye.
So when we cook up something new, don’t be surprised.
Chorus
Mrs. Maxine Knapp is a kind, caring, and generous member of our Hermosa community. We’d like to share some of her life’s stories with you. She’s lived most of her 92 years right here in the Hermosa area cooking up tasty meals for family, friends, and students. We’ll begin our journey back to when she was very young.
Her early childhood began as the second child of six children on July 9th, 1932. There were two girls and four boys.
They were busy helping on the ranch doing chores like milking cows, cleaning out the barn, cooking, gardening, and canning. Life wasn’t all work because they had a lot of fun too! They played games like checkers and cards and playing tricks on each other… like tipping…that is…outhouse (not cow or tractor) tipping! Their oldest sister was always pulling pranks on the younger ones, so that time when she was sitting pretty in the privy, they took their chance to even the score!! Other favorite past times were riding horses and fishing with all the neighbor kids. Maxine’s favorite horse, Joker, helped win a lot of races! They made a great team and together they ran faster than the wind! Another exciting memory was when they realized they were being stalked by a mountain lion as they walked to Rockerville School. Good thing it was just as scared of them, but boy did they ever high tail it to school! School back then meant all eight grades together in a one- room schoolhouse with just one teacher. Christmas plays put on at school were always something to look forward to as family and friends packed into the small space to share good cheer. Her school years would continue as she attended Rapid City High School. It was there that she met and began dating her future husband, Don Knapp.
They got married on December 21st, 1948. Don joined the Navy and that meant a move to California for the newlyweds. Maxine moved back while Don was on board a ship in the Pacific. She worked various jobs like the State Game Lodge and the Red Owl grocery store. When Don got out of the Navy, he worked for the telephone company and started ranching. During these busy years they had three children (a daughter and two sons). In 1975 Maxine and a coworker started the hot lunch program here at Hermosa School. They planned their own menus and recipes, but student favorites were always pizza, pbj sandwiches, macaroni ‘n cheese, and cowboy bread with chili! Cooking for the school lasted twenty-two years! She really loved cooking for all those kids! 1997 brought her retirement from the school kitchen, but not from cooking at home and in the community.
Recent years find her cooking and enjoying time with her seven grandchildren, thirteen great grandchildren, and three great-great grandchildren! Don and Maxine have shared 75 wonderful years as a married couple filled with hard work that comes from ranching and raising a family.
What comes next? Who knows what they’ll be cooking up, but you can bet it’ll be something special! Thank you, Mrs. Maxine Knapp, for your many years of serving up delicious meals filled with a whole lot of love on the side.