Shortly after Wesley's father passed away in 1840 in Athens County Ohio, he found himself living with his (maternal) Grandparents Asa Martin and Nancy (Ramsey Martin). In 1842 at the age of 7 his mother passed away and he did not know of this until several months later. He never knew why shortly after his father died, why he had to go live with his grandparents, but after the death of his (maternal) grandmother he was kicked around the Martin Family. There were many of them because his mother had come from a family of 17. If the uncles were gone he had to do the chores and then peel and slice the apples for drying. One day he had worked as hard as he could, not even taking time to eat. When his uncles came home they whipped him for not doing as many chores as they told him to do. Wesley in his spare time had practice throwing stones, about the only game he had time to play, so he threw them at his Uncle Asa. After that he was not so quick to punish (Wesley). The Martins were supposed to educate him (Wesley), but they did not let him go to school much. When Wesley was 10 or 12 a man by the name of Lucky hired him and let him go to school and paid him $4.00.

About 1855 Grandpa (Wesley) went back to Illinois to collect the money that was owed to him. He also hoped to earn more money by using his breaking plow. He got an old trunk that was kept in her bathroom. Hardly anyone had cash to pay him, but he took some guns and watches that brought him more than the money he would have had.

About 1857 he returned to Iowa walking and driving a team of oxen for Andy and Electa Berholf. Their son, Jimmy, a boy of 12, helped. He made his home with them for awhile. Once after he had moved to his farm he was quite ill with the whooping cough. Aunt Lecty, as he called her, cane and took him home so he she could care for him.

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Wesley was born on 14 Nov 1834 in Athens, Ohio to William Henry Cochran and Elizabeth Martin.

He married Elizabeth Hamblin in Madison, Madison, Iowa on 14th of Nov 1861. To this union were born 9 children: Hannah Catherine, John Hamblin, William, Frank Simeon,Walter Lyman, Forrest Lee, Fred F, Fields Wesley, and Mattie Eleanor

He died on 15 Mar 1912 in Macksburg, Madison, Iowa.


Bio by Robin Eiland