Mildred Bernice Cochran, 1903-1921

COCHRAN, KEESEY, MYERS, CRAIG, MINEAR, PREWITT, SHOOK, PERDEW, COLOR, FELGAR, GRIFFITH, MOORE, GILBERT, SMITH, HONSON, GLIDDEN

Posted By: Pat Ryan White (email)
Date: 4/7/2017 at 10:27:42

SERVICES FOR MISS COCHRAN

Funeral Rites Held at First Methodist Church Tuesday Morning.

A large crowd gathered at the Methodist church Tuesday morning to attend the funeral services of Miss Mildred Cochran, who died last Saturday.

The audience was made up of ministers of different church circuits, of Wesleyan students and faculty members and friends and relatives.

Dr. W.R. Keesey was in charge of the services and was assisted by several other ministers.

The choir for the morning was composed of Wesleyan students; Messrs. Craig and Wesley Minear, Russell and Leland Prewitt.

Rev. Shook read the devotionals. This was followed by a prayer by Rev. Perdew of Ottumwa. Later the obituary was read by Dr. Smth of the college. Rev. Myers had been privileged to baptize Miss Cochran when she was only a baby, so it seemed altogether fitting that he too speak a few words. Dr. Keesey then spoke a few words of tribute to the deceased, and the singing of the choir concluded the services.

The Misses Edna and Ruth Color and Lola Felgar were the flower girls. The pall bearers were the Misses Lois Honson, Alice Griffith, Jeanette Perdew, Wilma Moore, Esther Gilbert and Hazel Smith.

Interment was made in the Hillsboro cemetery.

MILDRED BERNICE COCHRAN.
Mildred Bernice Cochran, the oldest daughter of Charles Wesley Cochran and Jessie L. Cochran was born in the Methodist parsonage at Salina, Jefferson County, Iowa, Feb. 12, 1903. At that time her father was pastor of the Salina Circuit, it being his first pastoral charge.

She was consecrated to God and the church in Christian baptism in the Methodist church, West Point, Iowa, March 20, 1904, at the hands of Rev. T.J. Myers, D.D., Presiding Elder of the Burlington District.

As soon as she reached the age of decision, Dec. 13, 1908, she was received in full connection by her father while at Bussey, Iowa.

She finished the High School course of study in the accredited high school at Wayland, Iowa, in the spring of 1919, when she was sixteen years and four months of age. She had made her plans to enter Iowa Wesleyan College the following September; but was prevented from doing so by a very serious accident. In company with the other members of the family, she spent the summer vacation traveling by auto in the lake regions of Illinois and Wisconsin. They were on the return trip when the accident happened. On the evening of the seventh day of August, 1919, they camped for the night on the lawn of the John Glidden farm on the Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, Ill. On the following morning, as she and her mother were preparing breakfast, the camp stove exploded, and it was thought for several days that both she and her mother were fatally burned. They were taken to the DeKalb city hospital, where they were cared for until they were able for the trip, when they were taken to the Iowa Methodist Hospital at Des Moines. Here they remained several weeks before they could return to their home.

Mildred had sufficiently recovered to enter the Freshman class at Iowa Wesleyan College, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, in September 1920.

Miss Cochran was a girl of unusual ability. She was talented as a musician and was a diligent student. She very quickly won the affection and the respect of the faculty. Her services as a musician were constantly sought after by the church, the students and college authorities. Mildred could always be relied upon to supply any vacancy at the piano for the Glee club, devotional services in the Y.W.C.A. or at the college prayer meetings as well as at any of the church services. No one will be more missed than she.

On May 29th Mildred was seized by a very severe sickness. She suffered untold agony in her head. She was unable to leave her bed after May 31st. In a few days life was despaired of, yet for many days she lingered and her most intimate friends were constantly hoping that some relief might be found. The skilled physician exhausted his ability and affectionate hands did all within their power. All this to no avail and in the early afternoon of June 18th, she quietly passed to the great beyond.

["Mt. Pleasant Daily News", June 21, 1921, page 4]