Reality Show To Feature Hillsboro Brothers' 'Strange Inheritance'

HILLSBORO, OR — Three brothers from Washington County will be featured on tonight's episode of the Fox Business Network's reality show "Strange Inheritance," thanks to a tremendous arsenal of antique weapons — including a Civil War-era cannon — bequeathed by their father when he passed in 1999.

Tim, Brian, and Dean Marek took ownership of Rudy Marek's collection when Rudy died from advanced lymphoma at 70 years old. The collection the Marek Brothers inherited included guns from the American Colonial Era, the Revolutionary, Civil, and first and second world wars, and some items dating as far back as the 17th Century.

According to Fox Business, Rudy at one point became so obsessed with his collection he remortgaged his house in order to purchase a 12-pound Civil War bronze cannon called the Napoleon, which was reportedly used in the Battle of Gettysburg in early July 1863. The $12,000 cannon reportedly came with an added price — his marriage.

Through his 60s, even after his wife left him, Rudy is said to have continued growing his weapons collection. And when he passed away at 70, his sons inherited the collection and reportedly had no idea what to do with it.

In the "Strange Inheritance" episode, host Jamie Colby visits the Marek Brothers in Hillsboro and hears their story first-hand, sharing with viewers how the men learned the value of what their father had left them — such as the Civil War cannon that was reportedly appraised at $55,000.

Patch recently caught up with Colby for a Q&A, where she shared her experience meeting the Marek Brothers and seeing their collection:

PATCH: What was your first impression upon seeing the brothers’ collection?

Jamie Colby: Massive! Comprehensive and historically complete. Much of it appears to be museum quality. Rudy was spot on in terms of what he found valuable to collect but also was able to replicate with astounding accuracy firearms he couldn’t find in the marketplace to add to his collection.

P: Did any particular item stand out to you?

JC: I think seeing the guns and rifles that Rudy handcrafted in a workshop he spent countless hours in were most impressive. What a commitment he made to have as close as he could to the actual firearms used in every military battle our nation has participated in!
Also, as a student of American history, the Gettysburg Canon would probably be the one item I’ll never forget. I only visited Gettysburg for the first time as a part of our show in another episode after a descendent of General Pickett inherited a bloody Civil War uniform sleeve.
To see this cannon so beloved by a benefactor and then so appreciated by a purchaser when it went to auction was really exciting for me.

P: What did you think of the brothers’ story over-all?

JC: I think the brothers paid a huge price for their story and Strange Inheritance. They all love their father very much and he clearly loved them, but sad to say Rudy Marek may have loved his firearms more.
At least to hear the boys tell it, he wasn’t a dad at their baseball games or graduations. He spent almost all of his time in his shop and became so good at firearm crafting and especially decorative engraving he worked for the Colt gun company on commissioned assignments.

P: What can you tell us about your visit that won’t be part of the episode?

JC: We do touch upon it in the episode, but it is hard with the amount of material we wanted to share with viewers to really emphasize the difference in opinion between the three brothers on whether to keep the collection intact or break it apart and sell.
As you’ll see in the episode — and I encourage people to watch because it is a situation so many of us will find ourselves in — one family member is particularly attached to the dad’s collection while the others are more apt to separate and move on.

P: Where else did you visit while you were in the Portland metro region?

JC: One of Portland’s greatest attractions was happening just days after we wrapped: the solar eclipse. Sadly, because we shoot so many episodes each season and have to stay on the move we weren’t able to stay.
As you know, Portland is an unbelievable town for hospitality though, so we did enjoy a few wonderful downtown restaurants with Oregon pinots of course!

P: Were there any locations in particular that were memorable?

JC: It will be difficult to ever forget the story of an 8-year-old boy who inherited an Oregon winery we featured in Season One of Strange Inheritance. It’ll always be a location we hope to visit in Willamette Valley but were unable to get there this trip. Rest assured we won’t miss Brooks winery and restaurant next time!

The episode featuring the Marek Brothers, titled "Cannon Father," will air as part of a two-day season four premiere event at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 16 on Fox Business.

Image via Fox Business Network