Barbara "Barb" F. Cochran

Barbara “Barb” F. Cochran, 87, of Warsaw, passed away on Friday, November 19, 2021, at Montrose Health Center in Montrose, Iowa.

Barb was born on March 30, 1934, in Keokuk, Iowa, the daughter of Robert M. and Dorothy (Golliher) Cochran. She graduated from Hamilton High School in 1952, attended Monmouth College from 1952 to 1953, and finished her education at the University of Illinois, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1956 and a master’s degree in 1962. 

Barb was employed in many jobs in education over the years, working as a resident assistant at the University of Illinois, a kindergarten teacher at Decatur Public Schools, a kindergarten teacher at the Santa Barbara Public Schools, a resident counselor at Kent State University, Head Resident at Cornell University, a teacher at the Warsaw and Dallas City Public Schools, a family specialist at the Keokuk Head Start, night librarian at Carl Sandburg College, substitute teacher in Hancock County, Illinois and Lee County, Iowa, and assistant registration clerk at George Williams College Camp, also holding many other jobs at camps.

Some of the highlights of Barb’s life were spending the summer of 1955 touring Europe with a student group with passage on the elegant Queen Elizabeth I, adopting her son Tim in 1975 after eight years of trying (becoming one of the early single adopters of a child from outside the United States), volunteering at the Hancock County Historical Society for many years, restoring a 1863 home in Warsaw with her father, hiking part of the Appalachian Trail and traveling the United States and Canada, and going back to Europe in 1966. Barb loved her family, her many dogs, and her church family at Golden’s Point Church. She was a member of P.E.O. Chapter U in Hamilton. She also formed the “Cultured Cuties”, a group of women who attended events from Rock Island to Hannibal and seldom missed a church dinner. They had many adventures over the years. Barb had many animals as pets over the years and enjoyed spending her time reading, attending the Quincy Symphony and Theatre, birdwatching and chocolate. 

Barb is survived by her sons Timothy (Monica) Cochran of Fort Madison, Iowa, and Bradley (Lisa) Heitman of Woodbine, Iowa; her brother Richard (Thelma) Cochran of Hamilton, Illinois; four grandchildren: Elizabeth Cochran, Andrew Cochran, Amanda Heitman and Evan Heitman; one niece and two nephews: Jane (Russell) Iutzi, Marc (Leslie) Cochran and Jason (Amy) Cochran; and eight great-nieces and nephews: Hannah George, Caleb George, Lauren George, Ryan Cochran, Seth Cochran, Molly Ann Cochran, Ava Cochran and Joel Cochran. 

Barb is preceded in death by her brother Robert W. “Bob” Cochran and her parents Robert M. and Dorothy (Golliher) Cochran.

Funeral services will be held at 10 am on Saturday, November 27, 2021, at Golden’s Point Christian Church in rural Hamilton, with burial to follow at Oakwood Cemetery in Hamilton. Visitation will be held on Friday from 2 to 7 pm, with family meeting friends from 5 to 7 pm at Printy Funeral Home in Hamilton. 

Memorials may be directed to the family of Barbara for her grandchildren.

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