Ernest Brown Cochran's cremated remains were not initially taken after death and were available at Oregon State Hospital to be claimed by anyone who is related. In 2021 a relative received the ashes.
He was born on 12/11/1867 and despite his death certificate saying he was born in Iowa, research shows he was actually born in Wisconsin. His father, Rev. Warren Cochran, was born in 1816 in Vermont. As a Presbyterian minister, Warren served during the US Civil War as a Chaplain in the 6th Wisconsin Infantry of the "Iron Brigade." Ernest's mother, Love "Letitia" Brown, was born in 1833 in Vermont.
Before marrying Letitia, Ernest's father had been married to a woman named Caroline Abigail Smith who was born in New York. During the 1850 & 1860 censuses, Warren was living with Caroline and their children in Wisconsin. Ernest's half-siblings from his father's first marriage included: Harlan (born about 1845), Burritt Clarkson (1846), Beriah (about 1852), Elaine (about 1854), Herman (about 1856), Elbert (about 1859), and Elmer (about 1861). Harlan was born in Virginia and all the others were born in Wisconsin. Ernest's half-brother Harlan was killed when he was shot from his horse on 7/14/1863 at Falling Waters on the Potomac during the US Civil War. He was 18. Two years later Ernest's half-brother Burritt died on 7/27/1865. He served as a musician and although he survived the war, he died shortly after mustering out. In 1866 Warren's wife Caroline died leaving five children.
Six months later on 3/13/1867 Warren married Ernest's mother, Letitia in Baraboo, Sauk County, Wisconsin. Ernest was born on 12/11/1867 and his only full sibling, Mary Ester Cochran, was born in 1869. During the census of 1870, Ernest was 2 years old living with his parents, sister, and half-siblings in Baraboo. In the 1880 census, he was 12 listed with his parents and sister in Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin. Ernest's mother helped support the family as a teacher then in 1877 started a career as an instructor at the state's teachers' college, Oshkosh Normal School which is current-day University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Ernest's father divided his time between preaching, speculating on land, and farming. He was known to be extremely anti-drinking. He would go in saloons and yell at the patrons, saying he was ashamed of them.
In 1883 when Ernest was 15, his father moved from Wisconsin to Omaha, Nebraska. It was supposed to be a short-term separation so that Warren could visit his children by his first wife and invest in real estate. Meanwhile Letitia continued teaching in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. While in Omaha Warren advertised in the Omaha Bee, "Wanted - To correspond with a Christian lady of culture and refinement between the ages of 25 and 50 without children who could unite with a genial husband to make his home in Omaha one of prosperity and happiness." Through this ad he met a widow named Katie. In 1884 he quickly divorced Letitia alleging she had deserted him. The only notification he offered Letitia was to post a notice in a Nebraska newspaper far from Letitia who was living in Wisconsin. Naturally she did not respond and he was granted a divorce, required to pay no alimony, and got legal custody of the children although he did not take physical custody. Warren married the widow Katie but in 1886 he divorced her. He told the court she annoyed him with "worldly interruptions" while he prayed. It was reported in the newspaper that when Warren would pray "Thee O Lord, send down upon us…," and Katie would call out "Rats!" or "Chestnuts!" He considered her godless and felt it was his responsibility to his children to divorce her. Letitia read about Warren & Katie's divorce proceedings. In 1887 she ask the court to set aside her own divorce because she had been unaware that Warren had gotten a divorce. She asked for $20,000 in alimony given his net worth was $100,000 (almost $3 million in today's dollars). In 1890 the judge said that Warren's divorce from Letitia was legal, but said she could go forward with her alimony suit. In 1892 a judge ruled that Warren was trying to hide assets and allowed Letitia $2000 and $250 per year for the rest of her life. She appealed. Their case went all the way to the Nebraska Supreme Court in September 1894. It was ultimately determined Warren had deserted Letitia and fraudulently got a divorce, but the divorce held. Their case is part of the foundation of spousal support laws throughout this country.
In the midst of these ongoing proceedings with Letitia, Warren married his fourth wife. Ernest's father died in Nebraska on 3/2/900 and was buried at the Mount Hope Cemetery in Omaha. His death notice acknowledged that he had adult children, but made no mention having a wife when he died. It is assumed he had divorced again. The children from Warren's first marriage were estranged from their half siblings, Ernest and Mary Esther because of Warren's resentment of Letitia. Meanwhile Letitia was supporting her 2 children as an instructor and principal of the Preparatory Department. Being an independent, single, working mother in the 1880s she was indeed ahead of her time.
In 1889 Ernest's mother resigned her position at the Normal School to travel. The Pacific coast was on her list of places to visit. About 1893 when Ernest was 25, he moved to Oregon. It is believed his mother moved to Oregon with him about that same time. They settled in Marion County in the community of Sidney also known as Sidney Mills (between the towns of Jefferson and Independence, south of Salem). They were drawn to that area because Ernest's aunt Mary Minerva (Brown) Temple was living in Marion County.
Ernest's sister stayed in Wisconsin where she married George Alexander Law in 1893. They never had children. Mary Esther Law died in 1940 and was buried in Minnesota.
On 5/28/1899 in Oregon, Ernest married Zulima Arminta Kellogg who was born in Minnesota in 1880. Like Ernest she was also the child of a minister. On 3/13/1900 they had a daughter named Thyra. The following year on 10/12/1901 their son Elliot E. Cochran was born in Jefferson, Oregon.
Ernest took an active role in his small community. He served as the road maintenance supervisor, sat on juries, and worked as an election judge. He was active in the Sidney-Talbot Farmers' Union, an organization similar to the Grange. He volunteered as the Union's officer in charge of co-op purchases, and monitoring & reporting the status of the local dairy industry. When the Union had social events he performed skits and stunts as well as sang solos.
Census records suggest Earnest was hard working, responsible and steadfast. In the 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 and 1940 censuses he & Zulima were farming, raising sheep, horses, hogs and cattle. Ernest owned his farm free and clear of a mortgage. It was 262 acres with 152 acres under cultivation, principally in wheat barley and oats. Grapes also did well on the farm. In the early years they were living on the farm with their children and Ernest's mother, Letitia, who died in 1912 and was buried at the Cox Cemetery in Jefferson, Marion County. In 1925 Ernest's daughter Thyra got married and by the 1930 census only Ernest, Zulima, and Elliot were living on the farm. Elliott was married in 1937. By the time of the census of 1940 only Ernest & Zulima were still living on their farm.
Ernest was attentive to current events as well as local and national politics. He so frequently contacted the editor of the Capital Journal, a Salem newspaper, referred to him as "our old friend E. B Cochran." In the early 1930s he wrote letters-to-the-editor every 3 - 4 months. They increased to monthly letters and peaked at two per month in the 1940s. His letters typically contained jokes and were full of sarcasm showing his distain for taxes, government consultants, the employment office, state legislature, and Franklin Roosevelt. Some of his sarcasm was even put into poetry. His last letter to the editor published in the Statesman Journal in April 1946 was a rant sharing his opinion that cats and dogs as pets were useless and were a waste of food.
He and Zulima were married 48 years before she died in a Salem hospital on 7/4/1947. It's not known what the cause of death was, but years earlier she had suffered from rheumatism. In August 1947, son Elliott and his family sold his property in Fruitland, Oregon and moved in with Ernest who was presumably have difficulty taking care of himself and his farm.
Six months later on 2/27/1948, Ernest was admitted to the Oregon State Hospital, a residential facility in Salem for the treatment of people with mental illness. He was diagnosed to have "psychosis with cerebral arteriosclerosis." On 3/5/1948, just eight days after entering the institution he died at OSH of heart problems at the age of 80. To complicate things, just two days earlier on 3/3/1948 Elliott's mother-in-law, Margaret Shelley, died in nearby Dallas, Oregon. This may be one reason Ernest's ashes were never claimed although he was survived by his children Thyra and Elliott.
Daughter Thyra was the Oregon Statesman Journal corespondent in Sidney. In 1925 she married John "Rolla" Phillips. They lived for a while with Ernest & Zulima. Thyra's marriage to Phillips ended in divorce. By the time of the 1930 census Thyra was living in nearby Polk County, Oregon working as a housekeeper in private homes. She married Charles L. Skinner in 1931. They divorced. By 1938 Thyra married William Norman Lockey. She was worked as a practical nurse and by 1947 became a spokesperson for the elderly on public assistance. William died in 1953. It appears Thyra never had children. She died on 5/22/1967 and was buried at Lone Fir Pioneer Cemetery in Portland.
On 10/8/1937 in Vancouver, Washington, Ernest's son Elliot had married Velma M. Skelley, daughter of Mr. & Mrs Willard Shelley. They honeymooned in Newport on the Oregon coast. They had a small farm near Lake Labish (Brooks, Oregon). On 7/25/1938 Elliott & Velma had a daughter Darlene Jean who weighed 6 pounds 5 ounces. In 1947 after selling his farm Elliott changed careers to become a home builder. He died of a heart attack in Salem on 4/5/1961. Velma died in 1993. They were buried at City View Cemetery in Salem.
Darlene was Ernest and Zulima's only grandchild. She owned and operated the Park Avenue Beauty Shop in Salem in 1958. She married John Raymond Greer in 1959. They divorced and she married James R. Morrill on 8/15/1961. She died on 4/7/2015 and was interred at City View Cemetery. She was survived by three daughters.
Most of Ernest's half-siblings stayed in Nebraska. Part of that family starting spelling the surname "Cochrane" just before WWI.
More information about the 3500 unclaimed cremains at OSH is available at http://www.oregon.gov/oha/amh/osh/pages/cremains.aspx A book by David Maisel and a documentary by Ondi Timoner & Robert James, both entitled "Library of Dust" also provide more information.
He was born on 12/11/1867 and despite his death certificate saying he was born in Iowa, research shows he was actually born in Wisconsin. His father, Rev. Warren Cochran, was born in 1816 in Vermont. As a Presbyterian minister, Warren served during the US Civil War as a Chaplain in the 6th Wisconsin Infantry of the "Iron Brigade." Ernest's mother, Love "Letitia" Brown, was born in 1833 in Vermont.
Before marrying Letitia, Ernest's father had been married to a woman named Caroline Abigail Smith who was born in New York. During the 1850 & 1860 censuses, Warren was living with Caroline and their children in Wisconsin. Ernest's half-siblings from his father's first marriage included: Harlan (born about 1845), Burritt Clarkson (1846), Beriah (about 1852), Elaine (about 1854), Herman (about 1856), Elbert (about 1859), and Elmer (about 1861). Harlan was born in Virginia and all the others were born in Wisconsin. Ernest's half-brother Harlan was killed when he was shot from his horse on 7/14/1863 at Falling Waters on the Potomac during the US Civil War. He was 18. Two years later Ernest's half-brother Burritt died on 7/27/1865. He served as a musician and although he survived the war, he died shortly after mustering out. In 1866 Warren's wife Caroline died leaving five children.
Six months later on 3/13/1867 Warren married Ernest's mother, Letitia in Baraboo, Sauk County, Wisconsin. Ernest was born on 12/11/1867 and his only full sibling, Mary Ester Cochran, was born in 1869. During the census of 1870, Ernest was 2 years old living with his parents, sister, and half-siblings in Baraboo. In the 1880 census, he was 12 listed with his parents and sister in Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin. Ernest's mother helped support the family as a teacher then in 1877 started a career as an instructor at the state's teachers' college, Oshkosh Normal School which is current-day University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Ernest's father divided his time between preaching, speculating on land, and farming. He was known to be extremely anti-drinking. He would go in saloons and yell at the patrons, saying he was ashamed of them.
In 1883 when Ernest was 15, his father moved from Wisconsin to Omaha, Nebraska. It was supposed to be a short-term separation so that Warren could visit his children by his first wife and invest in real estate. Meanwhile Letitia continued teaching in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. While in Omaha Warren advertised in the Omaha Bee, "Wanted - To correspond with a Christian lady of culture and refinement between the ages of 25 and 50 without children who could unite with a genial husband to make his home in Omaha one of prosperity and happiness." Through this ad he met a widow named Katie. In 1884 he quickly divorced Letitia alleging she had deserted him. The only notification he offered Letitia was to post a notice in a Nebraska newspaper far from Letitia who was living in Wisconsin. Naturally she did not respond and he was granted a divorce, required to pay no alimony, and got legal custody of the children although he did not take physical custody. Warren married the widow Katie but in 1886 he divorced her. He told the court she annoyed him with "worldly interruptions" while he prayed. It was reported in the newspaper that when Warren would pray "Thee O Lord, send down upon us…," and Katie would call out "Rats!" or "Chestnuts!" He considered her godless and felt it was his responsibility to his children to divorce her. Letitia read about Warren & Katie's divorce proceedings. In 1887 she ask the court to set aside her own divorce because she had been unaware that Warren had gotten a divorce. She asked for $20,000 in alimony given his net worth was $100,000 (almost $3 million in today's dollars). In 1890 the judge said that Warren's divorce from Letitia was legal, but said she could go forward with her alimony suit. In 1892 a judge ruled that Warren was trying to hide assets and allowed Letitia $2000 and $250 per year for the rest of her life. She appealed. Their case went all the way to the Nebraska Supreme Court in September 1894. It was ultimately determined Warren had deserted Letitia and fraudulently got a divorce, but the divorce held. Their case is part of the foundation of spousal support laws throughout this country.
In the midst of these ongoing proceedings with Letitia, Warren married his fourth wife. Ernest's father died in Nebraska on 3/2/900 and was buried at the Mount Hope Cemetery in Omaha. His death notice acknowledged that he had adult children, but made no mention having a wife when he died. It is assumed he had divorced again. The children from Warren's first marriage were estranged from their half siblings, Ernest and Mary Esther because of Warren's resentment of Letitia. Meanwhile Letitia was supporting her 2 children as an instructor and principal of the Preparatory Department. Being an independent, single, working mother in the 1880s she was indeed ahead of her time.
In 1889 Ernest's mother resigned her position at the Normal School to travel. The Pacific coast was on her list of places to visit. About 1893 when Ernest was 25, he moved to Oregon. It is believed his mother moved to Oregon with him about that same time. They settled in Marion County in the community of Sidney also known as Sidney Mills (between the towns of Jefferson and Independence, south of Salem). They were drawn to that area because Ernest's aunt Mary Minerva (Brown) Temple was living in Marion County.
Ernest's sister stayed in Wisconsin where she married George Alexander Law in 1893. They never had children. Mary Esther Law died in 1940 and was buried in Minnesota.
On 5/28/1899 in Oregon, Ernest married Zulima Arminta Kellogg who was born in Minnesota in 1880. Like Ernest she was also the child of a minister. On 3/13/1900 they had a daughter named Thyra. The following year on 10/12/1901 their son Elliot E. Cochran was born in Jefferson, Oregon.
Ernest took an active role in his small community. He served as the road maintenance supervisor, sat on juries, and worked as an election judge. He was active in the Sidney-Talbot Farmers' Union, an organization similar to the Grange. He volunteered as the Union's officer in charge of co-op purchases, and monitoring & reporting the status of the local dairy industry. When the Union had social events he performed skits and stunts as well as sang solos.
Census records suggest Earnest was hard working, responsible and steadfast. In the 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 and 1940 censuses he & Zulima were farming, raising sheep, horses, hogs and cattle. Ernest owned his farm free and clear of a mortgage. It was 262 acres with 152 acres under cultivation, principally in wheat barley and oats. Grapes also did well on the farm. In the early years they were living on the farm with their children and Ernest's mother, Letitia, who died in 1912 and was buried at the Cox Cemetery in Jefferson, Marion County. In 1925 Ernest's daughter Thyra got married and by the 1930 census only Ernest, Zulima, and Elliot were living on the farm. Elliott was married in 1937. By the time of the census of 1940 only Ernest & Zulima were still living on their farm.
Ernest was attentive to current events as well as local and national politics. He so frequently contacted the editor of the Capital Journal, a Salem newspaper, referred to him as "our old friend E. B Cochran." In the early 1930s he wrote letters-to-the-editor every 3 - 4 months. They increased to monthly letters and peaked at two per month in the 1940s. His letters typically contained jokes and were full of sarcasm showing his distain for taxes, government consultants, the employment office, state legislature, and Franklin Roosevelt. Some of his sarcasm was even put into poetry. His last letter to the editor published in the Statesman Journal in April 1946 was a rant sharing his opinion that cats and dogs as pets were useless and were a waste of food.
He and Zulima were married 48 years before she died in a Salem hospital on 7/4/1947. It's not known what the cause of death was, but years earlier she had suffered from rheumatism. In August 1947, son Elliott and his family sold his property in Fruitland, Oregon and moved in with Ernest who was presumably have difficulty taking care of himself and his farm.
Six months later on 2/27/1948, Ernest was admitted to the Oregon State Hospital, a residential facility in Salem for the treatment of people with mental illness. He was diagnosed to have "psychosis with cerebral arteriosclerosis." On 3/5/1948, just eight days after entering the institution he died at OSH of heart problems at the age of 80. To complicate things, just two days earlier on 3/3/1948 Elliott's mother-in-law, Margaret Shelley, died in nearby Dallas, Oregon. This may be one reason Ernest's ashes were never claimed although he was survived by his children Thyra and Elliott.
Daughter Thyra was the Oregon Statesman Journal corespondent in Sidney. In 1925 she married John "Rolla" Phillips. They lived for a while with Ernest & Zulima. Thyra's marriage to Phillips ended in divorce. By the time of the 1930 census Thyra was living in nearby Polk County, Oregon working as a housekeeper in private homes. She married Charles L. Skinner in 1931. They divorced. By 1938 Thyra married William Norman Lockey. She was worked as a practical nurse and by 1947 became a spokesperson for the elderly on public assistance. William died in 1953. It appears Thyra never had children. She died on 5/22/1967 and was buried at Lone Fir Pioneer Cemetery in Portland.
On 10/8/1937 in Vancouver, Washington, Ernest's son Elliot had married Velma M. Skelley, daughter of Mr. & Mrs Willard Shelley. They honeymooned in Newport on the Oregon coast. They had a small farm near Lake Labish (Brooks, Oregon). On 7/25/1938 Elliott & Velma had a daughter Darlene Jean who weighed 6 pounds 5 ounces. In 1947 after selling his farm Elliott changed careers to become a home builder. He died of a heart attack in Salem on 4/5/1961. Velma died in 1993. They were buried at City View Cemetery in Salem.
Darlene was Ernest and Zulima's only grandchild. She owned and operated the Park Avenue Beauty Shop in Salem in 1958. She married John Raymond Greer in 1959. They divorced and she married James R. Morrill on 8/15/1961. She died on 4/7/2015 and was interred at City View Cemetery. She was survived by three daughters.
Most of Ernest's half-siblings stayed in Nebraska. Part of that family starting spelling the surname "Cochrane" just before WWI.
More information about the 3500 unclaimed cremains at OSH is available at http://www.oregon.gov/oha/amh/osh/pages/cremains.aspx A book by David Maisel and a documentary by Ondi Timoner & Robert James, both entitled "Library of Dust" also provide more information.
Ernest Brown Cochran's cremated remains were not initially taken after death and were available at Oregon State Hospital to be claimed by anyone who is related. In 2021 a relative received the ashes.
He was born on 12/11/1867 and despite his death certificate saying he was born in Iowa, research shows he was actually born in Wisconsin. His father, Rev. Warren Cochran, was born in 1816 in Vermont. As a Presbyterian minister, Warren served during the US Civil War as a Chaplain in the 6th Wisconsin Infantry of the "Iron Brigade." Ernest's mother, Love "Letitia" Brown, was born in 1833 in Vermont.
Before marrying Letitia, Ernest's father had been married to a woman named Caroline Abigail Smith who was born in New York. During the 1850 & 1860 censuses, Warren was living with Caroline and their children in Wisconsin. Ernest's half-siblings from his father's first marriage included: Harlan (born about 1845), Burritt Clarkson (1846), Beriah (about 1852), Elaine (about 1854), Herman (about 1856), Elbert (about 1859), and Elmer (about 1861). Harlan was born in Virginia and all the others were born in Wisconsin. Ernest's half-brother Harlan was killed when he was shot from his horse on 7/14/1863 at Falling Waters on the Potomac during the US Civil War. He was 18. Two years later Ernest's half-brother Burritt died on 7/27/1865. He served as a musician and although he survived the war, he died shortly after mustering out. In 1866 Warren's wife Caroline died leaving five children.
Six months later on 3/13/1867 Warren married Ernest's mother, Letitia in Baraboo, Sauk County, Wisconsin. Ernest was born on 12/11/1867 and his only full sibling, Mary Ester Cochran, was born in 1869. During the census of 1870, Ernest was 2 years old living with his parents, sister, and half-siblings in Baraboo. In the 1880 census, he was 12 listed with his parents and sister in Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin. Ernest's mother helped support the family as a teacher then in 1877 started a career as an instructor at the state's teachers' college, Oshkosh Normal School which is current-day University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Ernest's father divided his time between preaching, speculating on land, and farming. He was known to be extremely anti-drinking. He would go in saloons and yell at the patrons, saying he was ashamed of them.
In 1883 when Ernest was 15, his father moved from Wisconsin to Omaha, Nebraska. It was supposed to be a short-term separation so that Warren could visit his children by his first wife and invest in real estate. Meanwhile Letitia continued teaching in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. While in Omaha Warren advertised in the Omaha Bee, "Wanted - To correspond with a Christian lady of culture and refinement between the ages of 25 and 50 without children who could unite with a genial husband to make his home in Omaha one of prosperity and happiness." Through this ad he met a widow named Katie. In 1884 he quickly divorced Letitia alleging she had deserted him. The only notification he offered Letitia was to post a notice in a Nebraska newspaper far from Letitia who was living in Wisconsin. Naturally she did not respond and he was granted a divorce, required to pay no alimony, and got legal custody of the children although he did not take physical custody. Warren married the widow Katie but in 1886 he divorced her. He told the court she annoyed him with "worldly interruptions" while he prayed. It was reported in the newspaper that when Warren would pray "Thee O Lord, send down upon us…," and Katie would call out "Rats!" or "Chestnuts!" He considered her godless and felt it was his responsibility to his children to divorce her. Letitia read about Warren & Katie's divorce proceedings. In 1887 she ask the court to set aside her own divorce because she had been unaware that Warren had gotten a divorce. She asked for $20,000 in alimony given his net worth was $100,000 (almost $3 million in today's dollars). In 1890 the judge said that Warren's divorce from Letitia was legal, but said she could go forward with her alimony suit. In 1892 a judge ruled that Warren was trying to hide assets and allowed Letitia $2000 and $250 per year for the rest of her life. She appealed. Their case went all the way to the Nebraska Supreme Court in September 1894. It was ultimately determined Warren had deserted Letitia and fraudulently got a divorce, but the divorce held. Their case is part of the foundation of spousal support laws throughout this country.
In the midst of these ongoing proceedings with Letitia, Warren married his fourth wife. Ernest's father died in Nebraska on 3/2/900 and was buried at the Mount Hope Cemetery in Omaha. His death notice acknowledged that he had adult children, but made no mention having a wife when he died. It is assumed he had divorced again. The children from Warren's first marriage were estranged from their half siblings, Ernest and Mary Esther because of Warren's resentment of Letitia. Meanwhile Letitia was supporting her 2 children as an instructor and principal of the Preparatory Department. Being an independent, single, working mother in the 1880s she was indeed ahead of her time.
In 1889 Ernest's mother resigned her position at the Normal School to travel. The Pacific coast was on her list of places to visit. About 1893 when Ernest was 25, he moved to Oregon. It is believed his mother moved to Oregon with him about that same time. They settled in Marion County in the community of Sidney also known as Sidney Mills (between the towns of Jefferson and Independence, south of Salem). They were drawn to that area because Ernest's aunt Mary Minerva (Brown) Temple was living in Marion County.
Ernest's sister stayed in Wisconsin where she married George Alexander Law in 1893. They never had children. Mary Esther Law died in 1940 and was buried in Minnesota.
On 5/28/1899 in Oregon, Ernest married Zulima Arminta Kellogg who was born in Minnesota in 1880. Like Ernest she was also the child of a minister. On 3/13/1900 they had a daughter named Thyra. The following year on 10/12/1901 their son Elliot E. Cochran was born in Jefferson, Oregon.
Ernest took an active role in his small community. He served as the road maintenance supervisor, sat on juries, and worked as an election judge. He was active in the Sidney-Talbot Farmers' Union, an organization similar to the Grange. He volunteered as the Union's officer in charge of co-op purchases, and monitoring & reporting the status of the local dairy industry. When the Union had social events he performed skits and stunts as well as sang solos.
Census records suggest Earnest was hard working, responsible and steadfast. In the 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 and 1940 censuses he & Zulima were farming, raising sheep, horses, hogs and cattle. Ernest owned his farm free and clear of a mortgage. It was 262 acres with 152 acres under cultivation, principally in wheat barley and oats. Grapes also did well on the farm. In the early years they were living on the farm with their children and Ernest's mother, Letitia, who died in 1912 and was buried at the Cox Cemetery in Jefferson, Marion County. In 1925 Ernest's daughter Thyra got married and by the 1930 census only Ernest, Zulima, and Elliot were living on the farm. Elliott was married in 1937. By the time of the census of 1940 only Ernest & Zulima were still living on their farm.
Ernest was attentive to current events as well as local and national politics. He so frequently contacted the editor of the Capital Journal, a Salem newspaper, referred to him as "our old friend E. B Cochran." In the early 1930s he wrote letters-to-the-editor every 3 - 4 months. They increased to monthly letters and peaked at two per month in the 1940s. His letters typically contained jokes and were full of sarcasm showing his distain for taxes, government consultants, the employment office, state legislature, and Franklin Roosevelt. Some of his sarcasm was even put into poetry. His last letter to the editor published in the Statesman Journal in April 1946 was a rant sharing his opinion that cats and dogs as pets were useless and were a waste of food.
He and Zulima were married 48 years before she died in a Salem hospital on 7/4/1947. It's not known what the cause of death was, but years earlier she had suffered from rheumatism. In August 1947, son Elliott and his family sold his property in Fruitland, Oregon and moved in with Ernest who was presumably have difficulty taking care of himself and his farm.
Six months later on 2/27/1948, Ernest was admitted to the Oregon State Hospital, a residential facility in Salem for the treatment of people with mental illness. He was diagnosed to have "psychosis with cerebral arteriosclerosis." On 3/5/1948, just eight days after entering the institution he died at OSH of heart problems at the age of 80. To complicate things, just two days earlier on 3/3/1948 Elliott's mother-in-law, Margaret Shelley, died in nearby Dallas, Oregon. This may be one reason Ernest's ashes were never claimed although he was survived by his children Thyra and Elliott.
Daughter Thyra was the Oregon Statesman Journal corespondent in Sidney. In 1925 she married John "Rolla" Phillips. They lived for a while with Ernest & Zulima. Thyra's marriage to Phillips ended in divorce. By the time of the 1930 census Thyra was living in nearby Polk County, Oregon working as a housekeeper in private homes. She married Charles L. Skinner in 1931. They divorced. By 1938 Thyra married William Norman Lockey. She was worked as a practical nurse and by 1947 became a spokesperson for the elderly on public assistance. William died in 1953. It appears Thyra never had children. She died on 5/22/1967 and was buried at Lone Fir Pioneer Cemetery in Portland.
On 10/8/1937 in Vancouver, Washington, Ernest's son Elliot had married Velma M. Skelley, daughter of Mr. & Mrs Willard Shelley. They honeymooned in Newport on the Oregon coast. They had a small farm near Lake Labish (Brooks, Oregon). On 7/25/1938 Elliott & Velma had a daughter Darlene Jean who weighed 6 pounds 5 ounces. In 1947 after selling his farm Elliott changed careers to become a home builder. He died of a heart attack in Salem on 4/5/1961. Velma died in 1993. They were buried at City View Cemetery in Salem.
Darlene was Ernest and Zulima's only grandchild. She owned and operated the Park Avenue Beauty Shop in Salem in 1958. She married John Raymond Greer in 1959. They divorced and she married James R. Morrill on 8/15/1961. She died on 4/7/2015 and was interred at City View Cemetery. She was survived by three daughters.
Most of Ernest's half-siblings stayed in Nebraska. Part of that family starting spelling the surname "Cochrane" just before WWI.
More information about the 3500 unclaimed cremains at OSH is available at http://www.oregon.gov/oha/amh/osh/pages/cremains.aspx A book by David Maisel and a documentary by Ondi Timoner & Robert James, both entitled "Library of Dust" also provide more information.
He was born on 12/11/1867 and despite his death certificate saying he was born in Iowa, research shows he was actually born in Wisconsin. His father, Rev. Warren Cochran, was born in 1816 in Vermont. As a Presbyterian minister, Warren served during the US Civil War as a Chaplain in the 6th Wisconsin Infantry of the "Iron Brigade." Ernest's mother, Love "Letitia" Brown, was born in 1833 in Vermont.
Before marrying Letitia, Ernest's father had been married to a woman named Caroline Abigail Smith who was born in New York. During the 1850 & 1860 censuses, Warren was living with Caroline and their children in Wisconsin. Ernest's half-siblings from his father's first marriage included: Harlan (born about 1845), Burritt Clarkson (1846), Beriah (about 1852), Elaine (about 1854), Herman (about 1856), Elbert (about 1859), and Elmer (about 1861). Harlan was born in Virginia and all the others were born in Wisconsin. Ernest's half-brother Harlan was killed when he was shot from his horse on 7/14/1863 at Falling Waters on the Potomac during the US Civil War. He was 18. Two years later Ernest's half-brother Burritt died on 7/27/1865. He served as a musician and although he survived the war, he died shortly after mustering out. In 1866 Warren's wife Caroline died leaving five children.
Six months later on 3/13/1867 Warren married Ernest's mother, Letitia in Baraboo, Sauk County, Wisconsin. Ernest was born on 12/11/1867 and his only full sibling, Mary Ester Cochran, was born in 1869. During the census of 1870, Ernest was 2 years old living with his parents, sister, and half-siblings in Baraboo. In the 1880 census, he was 12 listed with his parents and sister in Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin. Ernest's mother helped support the family as a teacher then in 1877 started a career as an instructor at the state's teachers' college, Oshkosh Normal School which is current-day University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Ernest's father divided his time between preaching, speculating on land, and farming. He was known to be extremely anti-drinking. He would go in saloons and yell at the patrons, saying he was ashamed of them.
In 1883 when Ernest was 15, his father moved from Wisconsin to Omaha, Nebraska. It was supposed to be a short-term separation so that Warren could visit his children by his first wife and invest in real estate. Meanwhile Letitia continued teaching in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. While in Omaha Warren advertised in the Omaha Bee, "Wanted - To correspond with a Christian lady of culture and refinement between the ages of 25 and 50 without children who could unite with a genial husband to make his home in Omaha one of prosperity and happiness." Through this ad he met a widow named Katie. In 1884 he quickly divorced Letitia alleging she had deserted him. The only notification he offered Letitia was to post a notice in a Nebraska newspaper far from Letitia who was living in Wisconsin. Naturally she did not respond and he was granted a divorce, required to pay no alimony, and got legal custody of the children although he did not take physical custody. Warren married the widow Katie but in 1886 he divorced her. He told the court she annoyed him with "worldly interruptions" while he prayed. It was reported in the newspaper that when Warren would pray "Thee O Lord, send down upon us…," and Katie would call out "Rats!" or "Chestnuts!" He considered her godless and felt it was his responsibility to his children to divorce her. Letitia read about Warren & Katie's divorce proceedings. In 1887 she ask the court to set aside her own divorce because she had been unaware that Warren had gotten a divorce. She asked for $20,000 in alimony given his net worth was $100,000 (almost $3 million in today's dollars). In 1890 the judge said that Warren's divorce from Letitia was legal, but said she could go forward with her alimony suit. In 1892 a judge ruled that Warren was trying to hide assets and allowed Letitia $2000 and $250 per year for the rest of her life. She appealed. Their case went all the way to the Nebraska Supreme Court in September 1894. It was ultimately determined Warren had deserted Letitia and fraudulently got a divorce, but the divorce held. Their case is part of the foundation of spousal support laws throughout this country.
In the midst of these ongoing proceedings with Letitia, Warren married his fourth wife. Ernest's father died in Nebraska on 3/2/900 and was buried at the Mount Hope Cemetery in Omaha. His death notice acknowledged that he had adult children, but made no mention having a wife when he died. It is assumed he had divorced again. The children from Warren's first marriage were estranged from their half siblings, Ernest and Mary Esther because of Warren's resentment of Letitia. Meanwhile Letitia was supporting her 2 children as an instructor and principal of the Preparatory Department. Being an independent, single, working mother in the 1880s she was indeed ahead of her time.
In 1889 Ernest's mother resigned her position at the Normal School to travel. The Pacific coast was on her list of places to visit. About 1893 when Ernest was 25, he moved to Oregon. It is believed his mother moved to Oregon with him about that same time. They settled in Marion County in the community of Sidney also known as Sidney Mills (between the towns of Jefferson and Independence, south of Salem). They were drawn to that area because Ernest's aunt Mary Minerva (Brown) Temple was living in Marion County.
Ernest's sister stayed in Wisconsin where she married George Alexander Law in 1893. They never had children. Mary Esther Law died in 1940 and was buried in Minnesota.
On 5/28/1899 in Oregon, Ernest married Zulima Arminta Kellogg who was born in Minnesota in 1880. Like Ernest she was also the child of a minister. On 3/13/1900 they had a daughter named Thyra. The following year on 10/12/1901 their son Elliot E. Cochran was born in Jefferson, Oregon.
Ernest took an active role in his small community. He served as the road maintenance supervisor, sat on juries, and worked as an election judge. He was active in the Sidney-Talbot Farmers' Union, an organization similar to the Grange. He volunteered as the Union's officer in charge of co-op purchases, and monitoring & reporting the status of the local dairy industry. When the Union had social events he performed skits and stunts as well as sang solos.
Census records suggest Earnest was hard working, responsible and steadfast. In the 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 and 1940 censuses he & Zulima were farming, raising sheep, horses, hogs and cattle. Ernest owned his farm free and clear of a mortgage. It was 262 acres with 152 acres under cultivation, principally in wheat barley and oats. Grapes also did well on the farm. In the early years they were living on the farm with their children and Ernest's mother, Letitia, who died in 1912 and was buried at the Cox Cemetery in Jefferson, Marion County. In 1925 Ernest's daughter Thyra got married and by the 1930 census only Ernest, Zulima, and Elliot were living on the farm. Elliott was married in 1937. By the time of the census of 1940 only Ernest & Zulima were still living on their farm.
Ernest was attentive to current events as well as local and national politics. He so frequently contacted the editor of the Capital Journal, a Salem newspaper, referred to him as "our old friend E. B Cochran." In the early 1930s he wrote letters-to-the-editor every 3 - 4 months. They increased to monthly letters and peaked at two per month in the 1940s. His letters typically contained jokes and were full of sarcasm showing his distain for taxes, government consultants, the employment office, state legislature, and Franklin Roosevelt. Some of his sarcasm was even put into poetry. His last letter to the editor published in the Statesman Journal in April 1946 was a rant sharing his opinion that cats and dogs as pets were useless and were a waste of food.
He and Zulima were married 48 years before she died in a Salem hospital on 7/4/1947. It's not known what the cause of death was, but years earlier she had suffered from rheumatism. In August 1947, son Elliott and his family sold his property in Fruitland, Oregon and moved in with Ernest who was presumably have difficulty taking care of himself and his farm.
Six months later on 2/27/1948, Ernest was admitted to the Oregon State Hospital, a residential facility in Salem for the treatment of people with mental illness. He was diagnosed to have "psychosis with cerebral arteriosclerosis." On 3/5/1948, just eight days after entering the institution he died at OSH of heart problems at the age of 80. To complicate things, just two days earlier on 3/3/1948 Elliott's mother-in-law, Margaret Shelley, died in nearby Dallas, Oregon. This may be one reason Ernest's ashes were never claimed although he was survived by his children Thyra and Elliott.
Daughter Thyra was the Oregon Statesman Journal corespondent in Sidney. In 1925 she married John "Rolla" Phillips. They lived for a while with Ernest & Zulima. Thyra's marriage to Phillips ended in divorce. By the time of the 1930 census Thyra was living in nearby Polk County, Oregon working as a housekeeper in private homes. She married Charles L. Skinner in 1931. They divorced. By 1938 Thyra married William Norman Lockey. She was worked as a practical nurse and by 1947 became a spokesperson for the elderly on public assistance. William died in 1953. It appears Thyra never had children. She died on 5/22/1967 and was buried at Lone Fir Pioneer Cemetery in Portland.
On 10/8/1937 in Vancouver, Washington, Ernest's son Elliot had married Velma M. Skelley, daughter of Mr. & Mrs Willard Shelley. They honeymooned in Newport on the Oregon coast. They had a small farm near Lake Labish (Brooks, Oregon). On 7/25/1938 Elliott & Velma had a daughter Darlene Jean who weighed 6 pounds 5 ounces. In 1947 after selling his farm Elliott changed careers to become a home builder. He died of a heart attack in Salem on 4/5/1961. Velma died in 1993. They were buried at City View Cemetery in Salem.
Darlene was Ernest and Zulima's only grandchild. She owned and operated the Park Avenue Beauty Shop in Salem in 1958. She married John Raymond Greer in 1959. They divorced and she married James R. Morrill on 8/15/1961. She died on 4/7/2015 and was interred at City View Cemetery. She was survived by three daughters.
Most of Ernest's half-siblings stayed in Nebraska. Part of that family starting spelling the surname "Cochrane" just before WWI.
More information about the 3500 unclaimed cremains at OSH is available at http://www.oregon.gov/oha/amh/osh/pages/cremains.aspx A book by David Maisel and a documentary by Ondi Timoner & Robert James, both entitled "Library of Dust" also provide more information.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
