By: Wayne Loehring

I have always believed that memory is one of the most powerful things we have. It connects us to the people who came before us, reminds us of what we have been through, and helps us understand who we are today. For me, that sense of memory has always been tied to a place, the little town of Summerfield, Illinois.

When I began gathering stories for Summerfield: A Collective History and Fond Memories, I did not set out to write a book. At first, I was simply curious. I wanted to hold on to the details that time has a way of erasing. A name carved into a church pew. A photograph tucked in an attic box. A family name once painted on the side of a barn. The voice of someone who still remembers what it felt like to walk to school on a gravel road in the chill of a fall morning.

These are the things that give life meaning. They may seem small, but together they form the heartbeat of a community. They are pieces of a larger story, and if no one writes them down, they fade away. That is why remembering matters. It keeps the light on for the next generation so they can find their way back to where it all began.

In a world that moves faster every year, it is easy to forget where we come from. We are surrounded by constant change. Buildings get torn down. Families move away. Names disappear from mailboxes. New faces fill the spaces where old ones once stood. And while change is part of life, it can make us lose touch with the things that shaped us. The stories of the past are the foundation everything else is built on.

The values we were raised with, such as honesty, kindness, hard work, faith, and friendship, were passed down through generations who lived them long before we did. They worked long days in the fields, volunteered at the church, fixed what they had, and looked out for one another. Remembering them is not only about honoring the past. It is also about learning from it. It is about understanding that progress means more when we carry those same values forward.

Every time I speak with someone who grew up here, I am reminded that history is alive. It is in the way people still remember who lived in each house, who ran the old store, who played on the town baseball team, or where the train tracks used to run. These details might not make it into the newspapers, but they matter deeply. They remind us that progress did not start yesterday and that the roots of our community go far deeper than we sometimes realize.

When we take the time to look back, we find strength in the stories that came before us. We see how people faced hardship and found a way through. We learn that resilience and community spirit are not new ideas; they were survival tools for those who came before. Remembering does not hold us back. It grounds us. It reminds us that we come from people who built something lasting with their hands, their faith, and their love for each other.

That is what Summerfield: A Collective History and Fond Memories is all about. It is not just a record of dates and events. It is a thank-you to the generations who gave us the foundation we stand on today. Every page, every story, every photograph is a piece of gratitude — a way of saying that their lives mattered and still do.

So wherever you are, take a moment to remember the place and the people who shaped you. Ask questions, look at old photos, visit the places that hold your memories. Talk to your parents, your grandparents, your neighbors. Tell the stories you still know. Because once they are gone, they are gone for good. And when we forget where we come from, we lose a little piece of who we are.

The past does not need to stay locked in history books. It lives on every time we share it, every time we honor it, and every time we carry it forward. Remembering where we come from still matters, and I believe it always will.

As I reflect on the importance of remembering where we come from, I invite you to explore the stories that shaped my own journey in Summerfield: A Collective History and Fond Memories. To purchase the book, visit the Amazon page, and for updates and more, connect with me on Facebook.