By Erin White
1882 was a year of historical markers: the infamous Jesse James was killed, the immigration act was put into place, and the Knights of Columbus was established. However, many less prominent events occurred as well, including the birth of Malcolm McKibben.
Malcolm McKibben’s mother and father homesteaded in northern Hodgeman County since they had ventured nearly 4,000 miles from Ireland to build a life in the United States. Lydia McKibben, Malcolm’s mother, was the first to arrive. She built a home and provided for herself until her husband was able to join her several years later.
The McKibben family has farmed to provide food for themselves and commercially in Hodgeman County for more than a century. Currently, five generations of descendants reside in Hodgeman County. Many food traditions have been passed down and created over the last hundred years.
One tradition is the habit of not being wasteful with food. The time period and rural geographical region in which the McKibben family was established played a large part in eating economically.
Patrice Witman is the granddaughter of Malcolm McKibben. Her potato salad is infamous in her family. Her daughter, Ronda White, learned not to waste food the hard way.
The standing rule is if you take it, you eat it. As we all know, children’s eyes are often bigger than their stomachs.
In this case, White’s eyes were huge. She had taken a large helping of her mother’s potato salad, and her father, Gene Witman, refused to let her leave the table until it was gone. White grudgingly finished the salad and within minutes was sick. She has not touched potato salad since.
The descendants of the McKibben family are a close knit family and still convene at least two to three times per year in Hodgeman County. These meetings generally entail lavish dinners and succulent desserts in recognition of birthdays and holidays. Members of the family bring dishes of their choice from fried chicken, to corn dip and salsa, to cake and fudge. One thing is certain, though: the abundance of food never goes to waste.
The traditions instilled over a century ago have proven to be valuable, especially given the economic turmoil that has burdened the world over the last one hundred years. The McKibben family successfully carries on and continues to pass down these traditions and hopes to do so for many centuries to come.
Potato Salad
From Patrice Witman
6 medium potatoes
2 hard boiled eggs, finely chopped
1/8 cup chopped onion
¾ cup salad dressing (she uses Miracle Whip)
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper (optional)
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
Peel and boil potatoes. Drain potatoes.
Add eggs, onion, miracle whip, sour cream, salt, pepper, and sugar into a large mixing bowl.
Mix thoroughly (for a creamy texture mix with a mixer on medium speed).
Chill for two hours.
Makes six ½ cup servings.
