Past Generations

Past Generations
Looking back on to my family history I can’t go further than my grandparents, because I really don’t know much before then. I know my father and his family grew up dirt poor out in Colerain when it was farmland, and they lived off what they grew. My mother is from a very wealthy family from Fort Thomas, Kentucky. When looking at my parent’s childhood they come from two different worlds, they were the complete opposite.
Both my grandfathers fought in World War II, my grandfather Megerle actually brought back Nazi knifes’ that we have at my parents house. I know from the stories, both grandfathers were hard working men that did everything to provide for their families. My grandpa Megerle was the town Sheriff of Fort Thomas for a while, and owned several banks, bars, and butcher shops. My mom talks about how some of the businesses they owned were connected to the Mob, and used for laundering money. We have pictures of my great aunt Mae and Uncle Bud playing poker with their neighbor Al Capone, we still have the poker table they played on.
Unlike my mothers side of the family my father’s side doesn’t have any cool Mob stories. My grandpa Wilcox did lose his arm while working in a steel factory, it was his writing hand so he had to learn how to function with the other. Grandpa actually returned to work for the company for the rest of his life. Both sides of my families are distant now, so it hard to really get a full understanding where I come from. One thing I do know, I come from a long line of hard working honest men and that is something I strive to be.

AMW