Ross Lee Cochran was born September 10, 1925, to Roy Archie and Lucinda Elizabeth (Myers) Cochran on the century family farm near Lucas, Iowa, that would become his home for life.

     He attended Spring Hill School, a one-room schoolhouse near the family farm, until attending Lucas Community High School. Education was very important to Ross, and he walked 4 1/2  miles to high school and back every day. He graduated in 1943 and worked the family farm with his father until his service in the army from 1951-1953. He took over the family farm upon his father's death in 1960.

     Ross was a deeply intelligent individual- he had a great deal of curiosity    regarding the world around him and his own spirituality and was an avid reader. As a member of the First Presbyterian Church, he enjoyed Bible study, and loved to sing hymns as an expression of faith. He liked other people, loved to visit, and could converse on nearly any topic of discussion.

     Ross also valued his membership in the Paul Revere Masonic Lodge. Ross had a gift in the skill of his hands. He had great loves, including his wife, Lorna, his children Carol (Mike) Carr and Harley (Beth Shide) Cochran: grandchildren Linda (Jon) Massman, Julie (Derek) Quam, Kristy Carr, Aidan and Chloe Cochran: great-grandchildren Jacob and Nolan Quam and Emilia Massman. Along with his   family, he developed special relationships with the spouses who became part of the family. He expressed this love with his hands, not only in the personal       affection he showed for his family but in the objects he made for them-he was a skilled and creative woodworker.

     Ross had a deep personal love of the land, and even after "retirement", felt his relationship with the earth should be a nurturing one. Stewardship was an essential element of the Presbyterian Church, and he believed it applied not only to his relationship with other people but as the core of his professional attitude toward the land. The strength of these feelings for stewardship can be illustrated by the fact that the family farm had been owned by only three individuals in 159 years: Ross, his father Roy, and great-grandfather and founder John Schnebly.

     In his determination to follow a life of value and integrity, Ross was a great man. He led his children by example and in doing so, taught values of love, courage, and resilience. He had strong senses of place, history, and humor. We will miss him greatly but find comfort in knowing he is reunited with his true love.

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