Charles Amos Wahl Jr. of Paducah, Kentucky, age 85, passed away at 9:20 a.m. January 11, 2025, at his home at The Lakes in Paducah. He was born May 17, 1939 in Paducah to Charles Amos “Chubby” Wahl and Alva Louise Metzger Wahl.
His parents both predeceased him, as did his first wife, Doris Rothwell Wahl; his sister, Caroline Louise Wahl Bennett; his son, Christopher Rothwell Wahl; a grandson, Charles Amos “Chase” Wahl; a daughter-in-law, Pamela Bright Wahl; and a brother-in-law, Jerry Douglas Bennett. He is survived by his son, Charles Amos “Chuck” Wahl III (friend Kim Poindexter) of Paducah; his granddaughters: Hunter Paige Wahl of Paducah, Shelby Nichole “Nikki” Wahl Penrod (Adam James Penrod) of Louisville; three great-grandchildren: Bailey Wahl of Paducah, Kayden Charles Wahl of Paducah, Keelan Penrod of Louisville, his nephew Charles Mitchell Bennett (Elizabeth Dewey Bennett) of Paducah, and his niece, Mary Julie Bennett Long (Dr. Timothy R. Long) of Bowling Green; two great-nieces, Caroline Long and Annabelle Long of Bowling Green; a former daughter-in-law, Peggy Angel Wahl (widow of the late Christopher Rothwell Wahl) of Reidland, Kentucky, and his long-time friend and companion, Lona Rae Korte Babbington of Murray, Kentucky.
Until his retirement, Amos was the owner of Wahl Excavating in Paducah, a member of the International Operating Engineers Union, and had celebrated his 40th anniversary as a member of Alcoholics Anonymous on January 6. He loved his family, his many friends, fishing, hunting (especially ducks), fast boats and motorcycles, travel, birds, dogs, and long winter trips to Florida-not necessarily in that order. He could have a quick temper and occasionally a sharp tongue but was usually quick to apologize. His voice could get louder when he wanted something, or objected to something else, but he had a soft heart when anyone needed (or perhaps only asked) something from him.
A graduate of Tilghman High School, Amos always tried to maintain his friendships with old schoolmates, business associates, and former employees. In about 1990 he purchased the property always known as “Priester Lake” on the Old Benton Road near Reidland, renamed it Serenity Lake, and until he decided to “downsize” and retire to The Lakes in April 2023, he swam in the lake in warm weather, maintained a small boat for frequent fishing excursions on Serenity Lake, kept his birdfeeders filled (and fought with the squirrels who raided the feeders. He welcomed his many friends and sometimes strangers to fish in the lake, camp in the wooded area on the north side of the lake, and entertained both crowds of people and small groups of AA friends with catfish and hushpuppies as long as he was physically able to man the grill. Amos found it difficult to leave Serenity Lake behind, because he had sat so often at the kitchen table in the big bay window to look down the driveway for the always frequent visitors, or watch the sun go down over the lake. A traveling preacher, or a young father looking for a place for his children to fish, were both welcomed with the same hospitality, and invited to sit down and have a cold soft drink or a hot cup of coffee.
Amos, born in Paducah, was always interested in the city’s history, and proud of the contributions and work ethic of both his paternal and maternal ancestors, who were among the early residents of Paducah. His g-g-g-g-grandfather Jacob Friedrich Wahl, born in Wurtenberg, Germany, immigrated to Louisville, Kentucky in the early 1800s and died in 1869 at the home of his son, Julius Friedrich, born in Germany in 1821, and Julius’ wife, Catherine Schaaf Wahl, who had moved to Paducah sometime before 1860, arriving via Floyd, Indiana and Hopkinsville, Kentucky, where Julius had been a music teacher. By 1860 he and his wife were living in Paducah with their two children, Harriet and James, where he was a “dealer in furniture.” They were later to have three more children: Ellen, Francis (Frank) and Albert, and he had opened a furniture factory, “Wahl and Sons,” at 202 Broadway.
Frank (Amos’ great-grandfather) and his wife, Dora Kane Wahl, had twin boys, Frank Malcolm and Harold Frederick, who jointly inherited the furniture business, and then a daughter, Dorothy Irma. However, in 1936 Frank Malcolm Wahl was managing a dry-cleaning plant when he died of tuberculosis. His only son, Charles Amos “Chubby” Wahl was only 18 years old when his father died. Until his retirement, Chubby owned and operated Wahl Laundry and then Wahl Laundry and Dry Cleaners. Amos went to work at the Laundry when he was 16 years old, his first “real” job. And if coaxed a bit, he could be persuaded to describe the functions of every piece of equipment and speak fondly-usually remembering their names--of the people who had once worked there. The old laundry building was razed in 2024. Anyone riding with Amos when he drove by the spot where the family business had once stood could expect that he would try not to look at the big lot, now bare.
Chubby married Alva Louise Metzger, the daughter of Edgar L. Metzger and Ida Scopes Metzger, (whose nephew was John Thomas Scopes, the focus of the so-called “Scopes monkey trial.” Scopes is buried in Paducah, and Amos maintained a connection with his two sons for many years. Edgar, Amos’ maternal grandfather, had established Metzger Meat Packing Company in Paducah with his two brothers in about 1910. However, both their father and grandfather had also been in the meat packing business in McCracken County. Amos spent many of his youngest years trailing his Metzger grandfather through the packing house buildings. Edgar died in 1960 at his home at 1001 S. 21st Street, where Amos had lived until his parents moved to the west side when he was about 8 years old. The big two-story house was also razed, and the site became the home of Wahl Excavating and later Wahl Landscaping, the latter business owned by Amos’ son, “Chuck” Wahl when it was sold in 2022.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, January 19, 2025 at Milner and Orr Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Paducah. Visitation will be held from 12:00 pm until the service hour of 2:00 pm on Sunday, January 19, 2025 at Milner & Orr Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Paducah.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to Brown Street Club 1397 Irvin Cobb Dr. Paducah, KY 42003 or Ducks Unlimited at donate.ducks.org
You may leave a message or light a candle at www.milnerandorr.com.
