Sharing the Reagan legacy: overcoming obstacles, core values

DIXON — The Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home had two visitors first thing on a crisp and clear Saturday morning — one of the local observances for the late president’s 111th birthday.

Penelope Beardin of Dixon was there to see if there’d been any changes since she was last inside five years ago.

She was accompanied by Betty Mull of Sterling, who saw it as a chance to get out with the break in the week’s fiercely cold weather.

Mull stood in the visitor center foyer, in front of a picture of Reagan as a young man. She commented on how often you might travel a great distance to see something and not know how it will turn out. “But there’s lots of interesting things going on in your backyard,” she said, taking in the display.

That, “and the free cupcake,” Mull said.

The low-key commemoration was just fine with Kyle Ferrebee, who serves as program director for the boyhood home on behalf of its operator, the Young America’s Foundation. Normally, the site is closed until April.

“We thought it would be a great way for local people in the Sauk Valley to engage and gather and see one of Dixon’s favorite sons,” he said.

The YAF was also holding a birthday commemoration at the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara, California.

But when it comes to talking about Reagan’s core values, the discussion always returns to Dixon and the formative years: Reagan as lifeguard; Reagan trying to earn a spot on the football team after failing to do so as a freshman; the dignity of his mother, Nelle.

“Reagan learned how to overcome obstacles, and he learned how to build community around him,” Ferrebee said. “That’s something pretty inspiring. If you meet any of the folk around here who knew Reagan from school, they talked about how charismatic he was, but also how down-to-earth and humble he was.”

Ferrebee’s exuberance about the Reagan legacy is evident. But, he admits, that it’s something that people of his generation have to discover — just as he did.

“I don’t know what it was like to live under Reagan,” he said. “My parents talked about this atmosphere of hope that was in the country.”

Ferrebee said the values Reagan extolled — individualism, free enterprise, national defense, hard work, honor and integrity — are part of the character of this community, and the late 19th-century Queen Anne style home with its small rooms and modest furnishings.

“We hope that people will be inspired by that and take that with them when they leave,” Ferrebee said.