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 ILLIAM H. COCHRAN, a farmer residing
on section 14, Seven Hickory Township,
has the misfortune to be afflicted with blindness, occasioned by disease contracted while serving
his country in the Civil War. He was born Sept.
4, 1837. in Floyd County. Ind., and is the son of
William and Louisa (Anderson) Cochran. His
grandfather was a, native of Scotland, whose family
settled in the United States; in his early life he
served in the War of 1812. His parents were both
natives of Kentucky, although his wife’s family was
originally from Virginia. Louisa Anderson was an
only child, and her mother died at the time of her
birth. Her marriage to William Cochran took
place in Kentucky, and soon after they removed to
Indiana, and were among the early settlers of Floyd
County, where they made their permanent home.
Mr. Cochran died in the prime of life at the age of
forty-six years. His widow survived him many
years, and her life went out with the closing days
of the year 1869. She was buried on the first day
of the New Year. A family of nine children was born to William and Louisa Cochran, whose record is as follows: Sarah died in childhood; Mary was the wife of George K. Erwin, of Floyd County, Ind.; both are deceased; the former died in 1859, in Indiana, and the latter in 1880, in Kansas; they had a family of five children. Susanna became the wife of Alexander Brocard, a resident of Floyd County, by whom she had a family of six children; in 1871 she was left a widow, and subsequently married William L. Wright, of which union two children were born. William H. is the subject of this sketch; Maria, the wife of Alva E. Hodge, resides in Floyd County, Ind., and has a family of eight children; Samuel, a carriage manufacturer, also residing in Floyd County, has a family of eight children; Harriet E. has been three times married; her first husband, Green H. Neeled, by whom she had three children, died in 1879; her second husband. Lee Onan, died in 1883; she is now the wife of B. H. Bacon. Julia and Preston died in childhood. William H. Cochran remained at home with his widowed mother, assisting her in carrying on the farm, and also attending the common schools until he was twenty-two years of age. Sept. 4, 1859, he married Miss Catherine Roberts. Mrs. Cochran is the daughter of John and Rachel (Kenoyer) Roberts, and was born in Washington County, Ind. Her father was a native of Virginia, and her mother of Ohio. They had a family of eight children, two of whom died in infancy ; the names of the remaining six are: Mary Ann, deceased; Elizabeth; Nelson, deceased; Catherine, Simpson and Maria Jane. Her parents now reside in Dade County, Mo. After his marriage Mr. Cochran lived at home until 1862. He then enlisted in Co. K, 93d Ind. Vol. Inf. While in camp he was stricken down with typhoid fever, and during his illness erysipelas set in, which resulted in blindness, and all means to restore his sight have hitherto proved unavailing. Mr. Cochran bears this affliction with great fortitude, and he is able to some extent to supervise the work on his farm, assisted by his sons. In the autumn of 1863 Mr. Cochran first came to Coles County and purchased the place where he now resides in Seven Hickory Township. He is engaged in general farming and stock-raising. Mr. and Mrs. Cochran had a family of six sons born to them: John William died in infancy ; Charles N., born Jan. 25, 1865, was married Dec, 16, 1886, to Miss Sarah Harris, of Cumberland County, and resides in Morgan County; Frederick A., born Aug. 8, 1870; Dudley S., Oct. 30, 1873; Clarence McDonald. Sept. 22, 1876. and Jesse E., Feb. 16, 1879. Frederick, Dudley and Jesse reside at the homestead. Mr. Cochran is a stanch Republican. |
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