Summer Cemetery Walk Recognizes Fayette County Ohio’s Highest Decorated World War I Soldier

On Monday, June 16, 2025, the Fayette County Genealogical Society in Ohio hosted its annual summer cemetery tour. This year the tour was led by Ohio World War I Centennial Committee member Paul LaRue. The tour was of the historic Bloomingburg Cemetery, which was established in 1818 by the Bloomingburg Presbyterian Church. Today, the cemetery is beautifully maintained by the Bloomingburg Cemetery Board.

Interesting Rainbow Division marker for Sgt. John Wrobbel’s grave.

The cemetery is the final resting place for numerous historical figures, including a Revolutionary War Veteran that lived to be 110 years old, Underground Railroad activists, and a Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient. The Bloomingburg Cemetery is also the final resting place of Sergeant John Wrobbel, Distinguished Service Cross Recipient from World War I.

Napoleon is credited with the phrase “The Army marches on its stomach.” Sergeant John Wrobbel is the embodiment of the phrase. In Ohio in the Rainbow, Captain R.M. Cheseldine writes:

“… John Wrobbel, a German born American, head cook of the Supply Company, on duty as cook instructor with Co. C. in support position was early at his kitchen on July 15 (1918), preparing a hot meal to be taken where ever needed. He went calmly about his work under heavy fire, and registered deep disgust and anger when a German shell took away part of his rolling kitchen and most of his reserve rations.

‘Damn them Germans,’ he shouted, ‘How the hell can I get the boys something to eat if they tear up my kitchen?’”

Sergeant Wrobbel’s Distinguished Service Cross citation reads:

“The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to John Wrobbel, Cook U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action in the Champagne Sector, France, July 15-18, 1918. During the heaviest bombardment Cook Wrobbel regularly supplied hot meals to his men. On July 16 his kitchen was almost demolished by shell bursts and a large number of rations destroyed, but he remained at his post after all assistants had sought places of safety.” (General Orders No. 26, W.D., 1919.) The Distinguished Service Cross was presented to Sergeant Wrobbel by General John Pershing.

Vintage postcard showing the Bloomingburg cemetery, circa 1910.

An interesting footnote to Sergeant Wrobbel’s heroism was provided by Dr. Byron Stinson. Dr. Stinson was a World War II Veteran, MD, and local historian. He wrote:

“Unmentioned in (Ohio in the Rainbow) is that the same shell tore off the foot of the Mess Sergeant of Company C, Brice Briggs. With soldiers being killed every minute on that front it was easy to focus on the comedy of the kitchen being blown up rather that the tragedy of men being severely wounded or killed.

At any rate here is confirmation of Uncle Brice [Dr. Stinson’s Uncle] being wounded near St. Hilaire. He had hooked his wrist-watch to a small limb of a tree and was preparing to wash up for breakfast being prepared by John Wrobbel. The wrist-watch, then uncommon, had been given to Uncle Brice by T.C. Gooley, New Holland Haberdasher, for whom Brice worked before the war . . .”

Following the war, John Wrobbel moved to Bloomingburg and started the Golden Loaf Bakery. The bakery was very successful employing forty and producing more than 20,000 loaves of bread each day. John Wrobbel died on March 14, 1941. He was buried in the Bloomingburg Cemetery wearing his American Legion uniform with his Distinguished Service Cross. In 2023 Sergeant John Wrobbel was inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame.

Vintage postcard showing the Bloomingburg cemetery, circa 1910.

The Bloomingburg Cemetery tour highlighted the service of the World War I veteran Sergeant John Wrobbel. The tour was well attended and enjoyed by local history enthusiasts and the community.

Paul LaRue is  an educator, and was a Member of the  Ohio World War I Centennial Committee.

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