U.S. Army to Lohman Exchange - U.S. Army Veteran of World War I Remembered for Work at Lohman Producer's Exchange

Following his service in World War I, Alfred Raithel returned to Cole County and began working for the Lohman Producer's Exchange after its establishment in 1920. He later married Antonia, and the couple became parents of one daughter, Gertrude “Gert” Strobel. Courtesy of Gertrude Strobel.

Several years ago, Gertrude “Gert” Strobel of Lohman began sharing stories, photographs and documents regarding the legacy of her father, the late Alfred Raithel. Possessing many titles during his life, including World War I veteran, manager of the Lohman Producer's Exchange and active member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, her father left an influence she believed deserved preservation before it passed into the fog of history.

Alfred Raithel was born on November 23, 1895, and raised on a small farm near St. Martins. His father, Adam Raithel, was the father of eleven children and was regarded as a hardworking and respected farmer. As one of the early residents of the area, Adam helped establish the agricultural traditions that would define much of Cole County's rural landscape.

“Although my father was raised in the St. Martins area, he moved to Lohman when he was a young man,” explained Gert Strobel during a 2013 interview. “His entire life, he attended St. Paul's Lutheran Church and was confirmed there in 1909.”

For many years, Raithel worked at the Linhardt & Fischer General Store in Lohman. Later employed as a farm laborer, he was among thousands of young Missourians whose lives were interrupted by a conflict unfolding across the Atlantic Ocean.

When the United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917, the nation was drawn into a war that had already devastated Europe for nearly three years. Sparked by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, the conflict had evolved into a deadly stalemate of trenches, machine guns, poison gas, tanks and artillery barrages, which ultimately helped convince President Woodrow Wilson to ask Congress for a declaration of war.

The announcement transformed communities throughout Missouri. Young men left farms, stores and factories to enter military service, while families at home supported the war effort through bond drives, food conservation and volunteer activities. Among those called to serve was twenty-one-year-old Alfred Raithel.

According to military records, Raithel was inducted into the U.S. Army on June 20, 1917, and initially assigned to Company M, 356th Infantry Regiment. The regiment was part of the 89th Infantry Division, known as the “Middle West Division” because many of its soldiers came from Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, South Dakota, New Mexico and Arizona.

The division trained at Camp Funston, Kansas, located at Fort Riley. One of the largest military training facilities in the United States, Camp Funston prepared tens of thousands of soldiers for overseas service. There, recruits learned military discipline, marksmanship, field tactics and the skills necessary to survive modern warfare.

Although Strobel recalled that her father rarely discussed his wartime experiences, military records reveal that he departed for overseas service on July 31, 1918. Serving as a cook, he remained in France through June 14, 1919.

While cooks seldom received the recognition afforded front-line combat soldiers, their duties were essential. Army field kitchens often worked under difficult conditions, providing meals to hundreds of soldiers despite shortages, poor weather and the constant movement of troops. Maintaining a reliable food supply was critical to morale and combat effectiveness.

The 89th Division arrived in France during the final months of the war and participated in the Allied offensives that ultimately forced Germany to seek peace. Combat officially ended with the Armistice of November 11, 1918, but many American soldiers remained overseas as part of the occupation forces tasked with maintaining stability in defeated Germany. Raithel was among those who continued serving until the summer of 1919.

One of the most remarkable legacies of his military service was a collection of photographs he captured during his time overseas. Equipped with a camera, Raithel documented both the routine and extraordinary aspects of wartime Europe.

Included among the photographs were images of American and French flying aces, damaged aircraft, military camps and French and German tanks. Particularly notable was a photograph of the grave of Quentin Roosevelt, an American aviator and the youngest son of former President Theodore Roosevelt.

Quentin Roosevelt was killed on July 14, 1918, when his aircraft was shot down behind German lines. His death received widespread attention throughout the United States, and he became a symbol of the sacrifices made by American families during the war. German soldiers reportedly buried him with military honors, and his gravesite became a destination for many American servicemen stationed in France. The fact that Raithel photographed the grave illustrates the significance such sites held for soldiers serving overseas.

Rather than allowing the photographs to remain hidden away in a family collection, Strobel later donated them to the Museum of Missouri Military History, where they have been preserved and cataloged for future generations.

“My father was reassigned to Headquarters Company, 323rd Infantry, where he continued to serve as a cook and remained until his discharge on June 24, 1919,” Strobel explained. “He then returned to Lohman and began working for the Lohman Producer's Exchange when it was established the following year.”

According to a booklet published in 1976 highlighting Lohman's history, the Lohman Producer's Exchange was formally organized on July 29, 1920.

“On July 29, 1920, the Lohman Producer's Exchange was formed by a number of interested clubs and local producers,” the publication noted. “The original five-man board consisted of William Scheperle, president, John J. Scheperle, William Niederwimmer, G. F. Sauerhage and Otto Linsenbardt, secretary.”

Albert Heidbreider became the first manager of the exchange, while Raithel was hired as assistant manager. In 1943, after more than two decades with the organization, Raithel was promoted to manager.

The exchange served as an important economic hub for area farmers.

“Cream, poultry and eggs were bought by the Exchange from the farmers, also wool, which was packed in big wool bags loaned to farmers and later returned,” noted a history book published during Russellville's sesquicentennial celebration in 1988. “The wages were $65 per month for assistant manager and $75 per month for manager.”

“Not long after he returned from the war and began working at the exchange, my father married my mother, Antonia,” Strobel said. “I was their only child, born in 1924.”

In early 1929, Raithel experienced firsthand the hazards associated with grain elevator operations when he suffered a serious fall. Fortunately, he recovered from his injuries and returned to work. As the years passed, the exchange expanded its operations. A former restaurant building was purchased and supplemented with a new brick addition that served as a retail business. Customers could purchase a wide range of products, including household appliances, feed, seed and grocery items.

Outside of his professional responsibilities, Raithel remained active in St. Paul's Lutheran Church, which had been a central part of his life since childhood. His commitment to both church and community reflected the values embraced by many members of his generation.

After forty years with the Lohman Producer's Exchange, Raithel retired in December 1960. Retirement, however, was brief. Suffering from a heart condition that developed after leaving the workforce, he passed away on September 25, 1963, at the age of sixty-seven. He was buried in the cemetery of St. Paul's Lutheran Church. His wife, Antonia, joined him in eternal rest nearly thirty-one years later.

Many decades have passed since the death of the local World War I veteran. Yet through the efforts of his daughter, his story continues to be remembered.

Gert Strobel lived until November 25, 2020, passing away at the age of ninety-six. Prior to her death, she expressed appreciation for the opportunity to preserve not only her father's military history but also his contributions to the community he served for so many years.

“I just want history to be preserved because it was part of the time my dad grew up in that included many fascinating moments,” Strobel said. “Dad's story is so interesting, and I am glad that it can now be shared with so many other people who are interested in our past.”
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For Alfred Raithel, the journey from a small farm near St. Martins to the battlefields of France and back again represented a life shaped by service, perseverance and community. Whether remembered as a soldier, church member, husband, father or longtime manager of the Lohman Producer's Exchange, his legacy remains woven into the history of Cole County.

Jeremy P. Ämick is an author, historian and owner of Moreau Valley Press. 

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While employed as a farm laborer in the Lohman area, Alfred Raithel was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War I. Serving overseas from 1918 to 1919 as a cook with the 89th Infantry Division and later the 323rd Infantry Regiment, he documented his wartime experiences through dozens of photographs preserved by his family. Courtesy of Gertrude Strobel.