Ronald "Ron" Lee Cochran

Mr. Ronald “Ron” Cochran, age 81, of State Road, passed away at his residence on Thursday, September 24, 2026, surrounded by his loving family.

My name is Ronald (Ron) Cochran. I was born in 1944. I am an only child and was born while my father was serving in WWII. I was over a year old when I first met my father. Until then, my mother and I lived in a 20-foot travel trailer parked in my grandpa and grandma’s ( on my mother’s side) backyard. I mention this because I’m told it caused quite a stir when my father returned from the war, since my grandfather and I were extremely close. It wasn’t long before my dad and mom bought a house on the south side of Des Moines, and we settled into a happy home.

My dad was a good man. He seldom drank or cursed. He was reliable and responsible. He was a carpenter by trade. Extremely talented and never afraid to tackle a task beyond his knowledge. I respected him greatly. He treated my mother and I with respect and love. He was not what I would call a religious person. That’s not to say he wasn’t a believer. I just never knew his Christian beliefs.

Christ, prayers, the Bible, and Church were not a part of my upbringing. The only exception to this was the summers I spent with my father’s parents. They were farmers and raised five children on a 160-acre farm plot in Southern Iowa. They were devout Southern Baptists. Church on Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. It was a part of my weekly routine for the one or two months I spent with them. They were great people. Loving and sharing what they had with others. I loved spending time with them. Grandma’s fresh bread and a full breakfast after chores were the best, especially the fried potatoes, side pork, and biscuits.

Their church was small but looked like a church. One large stained-glass window facing the street, a foyer which was the bell tower, and a sanctuary that had creaking floors that sloped to a platform which had the pulpit and a small choir seating directly behind the pulpit. A drawn curtain with a baptismal behind it and three sections of pews all facing the pulpit; these images are today for me as if it were yesterday.

It was in that church at 12 years old that I received Jesus Christ as my Savior. I can still today feel the warmth that came over me at that moment. A wonderful feeling, difficult to describe fully.

After that summer, I returned home.. I was changed. Being only 12, it was difficult to assert my newfound faith. I told my mother that I wanted to go to church, and she made that possible, but I went alone. We had a neighborhood Methodist church that my aunt attended occasionally, and I either went with her or alone. After months, I quit attending. Why? I don’t know.

I’m sure that I have given you the impression that my parents were bad. They were not. The only thing lacking in my growing-up years was an open relationship with Christ. They were strict and fair. Accountability and personal responsibility were one of their greatest teachings in my teen years. I love my parents and remember great joy in our household. My house was the gathering place for all my friends. Board games, card games, badminton, and laughter, mostly laughter, were always at my house.

Throughout my life, I have nearly violated every Commandment. Alcohol consumed my life, and at times I would not resemble the man I aspire to be today. A broken marriage, shattered children, poor examples, and self-centeredness have been a part of my life. Things that I’m ashamed of and pray that Christ will give me forgiveness.

In 1988, I met Cindy, who would soon become my wife. We met at a truck stop where Cindy was a waitress at Cecil's Cafe in Marshalltown, Iowa. On December 9, 1988, we exchanged vows and were married at the cafe.

2010 was the year that changed my life. God, through his divine wisdom, gave me a choice. I either changed my life and looked toward accepting one of God’s blessings: the chance to make a difference in a small child’s life, or take a path of darkness and the unknown. Thankfully, I had the strength to do the right thing. I claim no accolades. It was good for me. I quit drinking and, through the court system, was able to become Cameryn’s guardian with his grandmother, Cindy. The Serenity Prayer became my conscience. “God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference”. Everyday I recite it when I’m challenged. It gives me focus and direction.

Today…I feel good. My life is full. The joys of knowing Christ are fulfilling my life beyond my greatest imagination. My church family fills me with love and grace. Blessings are many. Am I perfect? No, but I am a work in progress. Learning and living each day with the love that Jesus Christ has brought me. Amen

I raced dirt late model cars for 25 years, love my Harley, traveling, and winters in Flagler Beach and Daytona, Florida, playing dominoes with my buddies, good food, and sitting on the back porch. I love my church and church family at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Pamela Kay Ferguson Lorenzo, daughter Carla Kay Cochran, aunts, and cousins.

He is survived by his wife, Cindy Louise Jeffers Cochran; sons, Bradley Lee Cochran and wife Renea, Daniel Guy Johnston and wife Jean, Michael Ray Johnston, daughter Kathleen Nichole Johnston (Dan Cook), grandchildren Cameryn Ronald Johnston - Dolph, Brady Cochran, Owen Cochran, Jacob Cochran, Branden Johnston and wife Olivia, Kory Done, Ashlyn Johnston, Ellie Johnston, Brantley Johnston; great-grandchildren, Everleigh Shaffer, Freya Shaffer, Lorenzo Shaffer.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, October 3, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church with Rev. John Newton officiating.

The family will receive friends at the church from 10:00 -11: a.m., before the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mountain Valley Hospice in Ron's name.