Hermosa Elders’ Wisdom March 2

Children at Hermosa School are sharing wisdom gleaned from local elders during the Elders’ Wisdom Children’s Song program March 2 at 6 p.m. This year, the elders being honored are Joy Neugebauer and Don Knapp. 
The program was originally started in Spearfish in 1999 by Hank and Marianne Fridell, along with Larry Long, the driving force behind the Community Celebration of Place out of Minneapolis, Minn. Long was brought in the first year through a grant. 
After that, the Fridells decided to take on the program themselves, honoring four elders a year with songs and community celebrations. Since then, over 100 elders have been honored in the Spearfish community. 
“People just kept doing it. Marianne and I are still involved, Marianne much more so,” said Hank. 
The program came to the Hermosa School in 2023, and two elders are selected from the community each year to be honored. 
Hermosa School principal Forrest Paris said, “The program means a lot to the school as it is a wonderful way to honor the elders in our community. Many of them have served some sort of role in the school, which also adds an element of pride. The students also get an opportunity to learn more about what life was like growing up in Hermosa and the surrounding area, and how different it was for the elders that we are honoring. 
“It’s amazing the number of kids that don’t have many elders in their lives. Many kids are in single-parent homes, and dad or mom is not there, and they don’t really have that contact with grandparents or cousins. So all of a sudden, they get to meet another older person, and they get to hear about their life, which is really cool,” said Hank. 
Once the elders agree to be part of the program, they are invited to visit the school where an eager fourth or fifth grade class asks them questions prepared with the help of their teachers. 
Hank said there are “thin questions” like what’s your favorite color, and did you have a dog? There are also “thick questions” like who was important in your life and why, or is there something that changed the direction of your life? Along the way, children hear stories they may never have heard without the program. 
“They can tell the stories about growing up in small towns or in big cities, and it contrasts to their life and what that was like. It’s a chance for kids to get to know someone,” said Fridell. 
Sometimes the stories that come out are not typically shared, even at home, and it impacts the elders’ families as well. 
“It just reminds me that we need to share our stories, and this is an opportunity to do that,” said Hank. 
Paris said, “It was so much fun to see the students asking such great questions and listening to the elders share their story.” 
A songwriter from the Black Hills area is present during the interviews. With the information and stories gleaned, a narrative about the elder is prepared and a song based on a theme from the elder’s life is written by the children with the help of the songwriter. 
“What I tell the songwriters is that you want to tell the story about what’s in that person’s heart. By doing that, we get to know who that person really is on the inside, not just on their accomplishments,” said Hank. 
This year, Kayden Kursave’s fourth grade class worked with songwriter Marianne Fridell.
“Marianne’s been writing songs since forever and has hundreds of songs that she’s written,” said Hank. 
Meanwhile, Amber Snyder’s fifth grade English language arts class worked with songwriter Sally Svenson.
“She is a great musician,” said Hank. “She’s written many songs and really tells a good story.” 
After the initial interviews, the classes do not share any information about the narratives and songs they prepare to honor the elders until the night of the performance. 
“The day of the performance is a special day because the kids record the song. They have a big practice on the stage that they’re going to be performing on. They usually have an assembly at the school where the kids in the school all get to hear what’s going on, but the elders aren’t there for it,” said Hank. 
In the evening, the elders along with their families, friends and community members are invited to attend the celebration. 
Kursave’s fourth grade class chose to honor Joy Neugebaur this year. 
When Neugebaur first heard the news, she thought they must have the wrong person.
“I know I’m an elder, but I don’t know that I really have much wisdom…I was just surprised and honored,” said Neugebaur. “It means a lot to me that somebody would think I had anything interesting to say.”
Her interview was Jan. 8, and Neugebaur said, “I was so impressed. The children were so well behaved, polite and had such good, thoughtful questions. It was fun to be back in a classroom.”
It has been about 22 years since Neugebaur quit teaching at the Hermosa School. She originally moved to Hermosa from California to be a first through third grade teacher. Having grown up in Wyoming, Neugebaur missed her family and wanted to be closer to home. After moving to Hermosa, she met her husband and has lived there ever since. 
She taught for a total of 15 years, with an 18-year gap when she had her children. Later, she worked as a church secretary for eight years at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. Other than that, she has been a ranch wife and enjoys spending time with her family. 
“I just appreciate the honor so much, and I just appreciate the whole Elders’ Wisdom thing. I think it’s beautiful for the kids to work with older people and be interested in them. I think we have so much to learn from each other,” said Neugebaur. “It made me stop and reflect.”
Snyder’s fifth grade class chose to honor Don Knapp this year. 
When Knapp heard the news, he said, “I told them I’m sure there’s people that probably deserve it more than me, but I was excited. It means a lot that they’d take the time to actually honor me.”
His interview was Jan. 13. 
“It was very interesting. The kids asked some real good questions,” said Knapp. 
Years ago, Knapp served on the Custer School District Board of Education and was instrumental in getting the first gymnasium built in Hermosa. He and another man bought the first scoreboard, donated it to the school and put it up. 
Knapp has lived in Hermosa since 1954. His wife grew up in the area, and their children went to the Palmer District School until it and Hermosa School were combined. 
Since his wife was honored by the Elders’ Wisdom Children’s Song three years ago, Knapp said, “I’m looking forward to seeing what the kids have put together.”
Nominations for Elders’ Wisdom Children’s Song are received throughout the year from parents, staff and community members. Paris said, “Each year it can be difficult selecting between which elders we are going to honor as they are all very deserving.”
“It just becomes a way for communities to look at themselves and say, ‘Yeah, we produce some pretty good people,’” said Hank.
To learn more about the program or past honorees, go to elderswisdomchildrenssongsouthdakota.com.