Though Patrick Mervine Jr. is currently a resident of Nevada, his family’s roots are deeply entwined with the rich history of the city of Fontana. He said his father, Patrick Mervine Sr., was a hardworking member of what he calls the blue-collar capital of Southern California.
“The Inland Empire was the blue-collar working class of Southern California, and my dad was all about working — he never complained about it,” Mervine said. “My dad felt that if he went into work every day, he could take care of his family and that he was building to help America.”
Mervine Sr. worked for many years with Kaiser Steel — a mill that supplied steel for ships during World War II. According to his son, their family was involved in Kaiser Steel in the ’70s until it closed in 1983. Mervine said that his father was the last driver to leave the mill on the day it closed…