My brother and I have been tearing things down for 40 plus years now if you count the years of being two of seven sons tearing apart our family home and neighboring structures.
From time to time you are actually paid to tear down a structure out of your childhood memories. We have torn down several structures in our home town of Lake Zurich Illinois, notably the demolition of the Rectory at our grade school/ parish and the Farmens Hotel.
Our family enjoyed many Easter brunches and memories at their restaurant. As you go through these structures at the end you see the outdated building materials and most not a high quality to begin with. It’s time has come. Many old friends and LZ community members stopped by and expressed regrets over the structures coming down. We would just hand them a brick for their gardens. When tearing down Bog Hollow School a gentleman stopped and said the school was the last structure of his childhood.
Our latest job was an estate of a few fieldstone houses on Rand Road on the south end of Lake Zurich. We drove by those very distinct houses our whole lives. (Please share if you have history.)
After so many familiar structures demolished by our firm we have come to realize an important truth. The real value of our past memories is the lives we shared life with not the landmarks. Our parents, family, friends, neighbors, teachers, classmates, teammates and associates are the makeup of our lasting memories. Here’s to all of you we have shared life with through the years in Lake Zurich. It’s better now than it was then if we are all honest. May her best days be yet to come.
Forever in our hearts and Blessing.
Rich and Steve Clements
Eagle Biomass Inc.