R. JEANNENE COCHRAN

After attending Iowa State University, Jeannene took a job in Newton serving as a secretary at the Jasper County Extension office. That is where she met her husband, Dale Cochran. Dale and Jeannene were married 66 years before he passed away in August of 2018. They were married in June, 1952 in Ankeny, Iowa and soon after that Jeannene and Dale returned to his family’s farm near Vincent, Iowa to work on the farm. Jeannene spent the years raising three girls, helping to raise chickens to produce eggs that she would take to Fort Dodge, Iowa to sell. She made countless meals and was a master of organization. Jeannene was a member of the Vincent United Methodist Church and loved participating in their various activities and Ladies Aide. She was always there to lend a hand during bake sales and volunteered her time to help out when needed. She was a very generous and giving person.

In 1964, Jeannene began serving as Dale’s legislative secretary in the Iowa House of Representatives when he was elected to that position. She continued to serve as a legislative secretary through 1998.

Jeannene was an avid campaigner for Dale during his many years of service to the State of Iowa. She would go door to door handing out literature and visiting with constituents about why her husband was the best man for the job. She traveled with Dale to all 99 counties in Iowa to campaign for him when he ran for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture. She always did this with a smile on her face, with energy, and a zest for life. People would comment that they were voting for Dale because they loved and enjoyed Jeannene so much. She was a classy and smart woman.

Jeannene is survived by her three daughters, Deborah (Jeff) Frehse, Denison; Cynthia (John) Forbes, Urbandale; Tamara Mathews, Cedar Rapids; her grandchildren, Stephanie (Cory) Schmadeke and Ryan (Sierra) Frehse of Denison; Adam Forbes, West Des Moines and Meredith (James) Swanson of Waukee; and her great-grandchildren, Christian and Gavin Schmadeke, London and Jemma Frehse, and Logan and Kennedy Swanson. Jeannene was preceded in death by her husband, Dale M. Cochran, her parents, and her brother Randall Hirsch.

The family would like to give a most sincere thank you to the staff of Arbor Springs and Suncrest Hospice. We thank you for treating our loved one like your loved one.

Funeral services will be held at 11 am, Thursday, January 21, 2021 at Iles Westover Chapel. Her family will receive friends beginning at 10am, Thursday (one hour prior to the service). Interment will be at 2:30 pm, Thursday at the North Lawn Cemetery, Ft. Dodge, Iowa. For those unable to attend, the funeral service will be available through a livestream link that will appear at 10:45 am, Thursday (Just prior to the service) on Jeannene’s obituary page at www.IlesCares.com, where you may sign the guest book and leave online condolences.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa or St. Jude Children’s Hospital.