Frederick W. Wachob, 99, formerly of Cochranton, and a resident of Wesbury Methodist Community, died Thursday, June 25, 2015, at his residence.

Born July 12, 1915, in Luthersberg, he was the son of Thomas B. and Hazel N. Dubbles Wachob. In 1936 he married Grace Bruno in Brockway and she preceded him in death. In 1946 he married Carolyn Glenn and they were married for 56 years until she died on Jan. 23, 2002.

He served with the U.S. Army during World War II, originally stationed in Hawaii and then deployed to Europe where he served with the 101st Parachute Infantry. He was a proud member of the “Battered Bastards of Bastogne” of which he received many medals including three combat stars.

Fred and Carolyn owned and operated four grocery stores formerly called Golden Dawn Grocery for 32 years, then in 1977 they retired and moved to North Point, Fla., where they enjoyed spending many years together walking on the beach, hunting shark teeth and seashells until she went to be with the Lord. He was of the Methodist faith and was a life member of the Cochranton American Legion.

Survivors include a daughter, Jean Preston of Brockway, and her three children, Michael Preston and his wife, Denise, Patricia Kriner and her husband, Terry, and Debbie Hynds and her husband, Ken; and nine great-grandchildren and nine great-great-grandchildren; a son, Robert Wachob and his wife, Jacqueline, of Cochranton, and their children Robert Wachob Jr. of Romania and Rhonda Wachob McCandless of Meadville, and grandsons, Brandon Wachob and Dusting McCandless; two sisters, Margaret “Peg” Stull of North Carolina and Deloris “Pat” Griffin of Luthersberg; a brother, Lester Wachob of Luthersberg; and several nieces and nephews. In addition to his two wives, he was preceded in death by a grandson, Darrin Wachob; three brothers, Lynn, Blain and Charles Wachob; and a sister, Anabell “Bo” Wachob.

Friends will be received at Dickson Family Funeral Home Inc., 123 S. Franklin St., Cochranton, on Monday from 1 until 3 p.m. The funeral service will be at 3 p.m. on Monday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Sam Marchetta, chaplain at Wesbury Methodist Community, officiating. Interment will be in Cochranton Cemetery, with military honors conducted by the Cochranton American Legion.

Pvt Wachob volunteered for parachutist duty and was sent overseas.  Some confusion arises, however, regarding his service as stated in his obituary.

In late 1945 Pfc Wachob was assigned to Company E, 508th PIR.  While a member of that company he was awarded the Good Conduct Medal which is appropriate since the GCM was awarded after a single year of service.

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His Pennsylvania WWII Veterans Bonus application completed by him on 16 January 1950 states that he began foreign service on 31 January 1945 which would have been the date he sailed from New York city.

There is no other enlistment record under this name so his prior service in Hawaii seems unlikely.  Although he may have been in the 101st Airborne, the departure date of 31 January 1945 was more than a month after the siege of Bastogne was broken.

He returned to the U.S. on 14 April 1946 and was discharged a week later at Fort Dix, NJ.