Note: this memorial updated October 15, 2015 with death date clarification -

The birthdate is calculated by most accounts from the age at death of 72y 9m 8d as of January 10, 1876 as per the headstone inscription.

The Probate file for John Cochran, in Box 10 stored at the Jefferson County courthouse, contains the original document of the Letter of Administration for the estate of John Cochran, appointing George Cochran to be the Administrator of the estate/probate process, on January 20, 1876. This document clearly states the DOD as being January 10, 1876 and that John Cochran died "testate", i.e. with a Last Will and Testament to be used for the probate process.

Another document found in the probate file stated that the Last Will and Testament of John Cochran was opened and read on January 17, 1876. Evidently, the source of the obituary information stated stated DOD was January 17, 1876. Whomever provided the newspaper with the obituary text had mis-interpreted the opening of the will with the actual death date.

This memorial will use the April 2, 1803 calculated DOB as noted above, and using the January 10, 1876 DOD.

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Married first to Ann Love, likely married in Ireland (family group files in the Fairfield Library do not provide a specific marriage date; it is speculated that they married in Ireland, but needs clarification/verification).

From notes provided to the genealogy collection at the Fairfield Library by Helen Smith on May 8, 2002: John Cochran applied for and was granted U.S. citizenship on Saturday, November 26, 1831 in Steubenville, Jefferson county, Ohio (not Iowa).

Children by marriage to Ann Love using the names on those memorials: Jane ( Jane Davis ), George, James W Cochran , Isabelle, Ellen/Eleanor, Margaret Ann Cochran Smith , Margery Cochran Lowden . Note: a family group sheet had the married name for Ellen/Eleanor as "Bisher". That appears to be an error - the surname for her and her husband John H Bishir in the Winterset cemetery in Winterset, Iowa clearly uses "Bishir" for the family surname.

Married then to Mary Gregg on March 3, 1843 in Lee County, Iowa.

Children: Mary E., John Gregg, Harriett Matilda, Henrietta.