Contrary to many of our readers, I moved to the Dent County area only a handful of years ago. After marrying my husband, who is a Salem native, I relocated this way and our roots have been settling in nice and strong since. While it’s only been a few years calling Salem “home”, I can sense that out-of-towners have increasingly been making their way to the area. My friend group is slowly growing with fellow community members originally from someplace else and, left and right, local real estate seems to be more and more attractive to people all over the country.
And Salem is an acquired taste. It’s slower paced … nestled in gorgeous natural landscapes. I’ve found that town happenings often center around fundraisers, school sports, or cookoffs of some kind. For me, it’s a no-frills way of life and, as someone who prides herself on a worldly background, I can truly say it’s an ideal place to settle down if that’s what you’re looking for.
Maegann Wilmes agrees. A few years ago, she and her fiancé were living up in Lake St. Louis and decided to see what options they had in terms of rural living. “I’m drawn to living how we were originally designed,” she said. “I think humans and nature operate like one big system…kind of like how our bodies work. And I don’t think the way the majority of our world now functions compliments that.”
Okay – that sounds nice. But, of course, I asked her what she meant by that. She laughed and replied that, as an example, her own body ailments were healing by her new surroundings in Salem. “I had hives and found this purple weed, well what I thought was a weed, and turns out it helps reduce inflammation. What I found right outside my porch was dead nettle.”
But – going back to her interest in Salem. I tried to nail down what kind of connection she had to the area. Maybe a relative? A float down the river at some point in her life?
“The closest I came consistently was Cuba. I had a friend who used to live there and then I went to a festival once in St. James. But that’s it. When I saw the name ‘Salem’ on the map I actually was drawn to the word, itself. And, you might have to fact check me, but I think Salem means peace in Latin or something.”
She was close. Salem, which committed Bible readers might know, comes from a number of Old Testament scriptures that refer to it as ‘complete and perfect peace’ in Hebrew. The ancient Middle Eastern town of Salem is referred to in Genesis 14. You can also find it in Psalm 76, where the writer praises the majesty of his awe-inspiring God. He notes that “God is renowned in Judah…His tent is in Salem…” For Wilmes, the idea of relocating to Salem started sounding sweeter and sweeter; maybe it could become a ‘peaceful tent’ of her own.
The land that Wilmes ended up purchasing was on the market and, just like that, off the market. That probably sounds familiar if you’ve been looking at property in the area too. But the 95-plus acre opportunity found itself back on the market and Wilmes knew she had to jump.
To make the property even more special, Wilmes and her dad shared a love for horses and the space includes a large-scale horse barn. He passed away just shy of one year before she moved to Salem. “I think being down here has forced me to deal with my emotions. Out here, you can actually hear your mind think. I’m still figuring out what we want to do with this land, but I’m also still working through hard emotions with my dad’s death. And I’m doing it surrounded by life of all kinds. That’s pretty cool. I can now acknowledge that death is a natural part of this whole ecosystem and it makes it a little more understandable.”
While talking to Wilmes, it appears that she’s found a real place of comfort down here in Salem. But when I said that out loud in the interview, she kindly corrected me. “There’s a difference between what’s natural and what’s normal. You don’t grow in your comfort zone, so I can’t describe this whole thing as comfortable. But it has been more aligned with nature. Noise and even people can be pollutants. I used to drive 45 minutes to work, one way. That might be normal up in a big city but you can’t tell me that’s how humans are naturally meant to live. Food has gone up like crazy so I’m out here growing it myself. That’s not a comfortable process – it’s hard. But it’s natural.”
As a self-proclaimed local, I’m always curious to know what newcomers plan on doing in the community. Did they come down here to be left alone? Do they want to get involved and find their place in Salem’s social fabric? For Wilmes, the space and quiet is nice but she knows that she’s a social being too. After substitute teaching for the Dent-Phelps R-III school district, she accepted a full-time third grade position for the fall. She earned her master’s degree in education and is putting it to good use.
Wilmes is also full of ideas on how to use her space for the community, but wants to get a sense of her surroundings first. “This town is so cool. The other day, I went to the news office to put an ad in the paper; I went to the Salem Chamber of Commerce to learn more about getting plugged in. You have a need? There’s an office close by to go get it sorted out. That’s small-town charm,” she said.
Recently Tod Kinerk, president of the chamber, shared what he thinks about newcomers. “The chamber is the best starting place for anyone wanting to have a business in the area,” he said. To me, it’s clear that the Salem business community has open arms to new ideas in its marketplace.
Wilmes’ first step into the Salem business sphere includes her role as host to her first-ever, all-inclusive yoga wellness retreat set for Aug. 5-7. She’s teaming up with local practitioners to share her healing space; participants will experience yoga sessions, food sensitivity testing, reiki healing, guided meditation, wine tastings, and a beauty bar with mini facials. To learn more and sign up, you can contact Wilmes at (636) 577-4269.
So…the next time you come across a newcomer, I encourage you to ask them: what drew you to the area? You never know what kind of cool stories and future endeavors you’ll learn more about. I like to think that Salem is as young as it is aged – it has a long-held history, but also one that’s emerging and fresh. I’m excited to be a part of it.
