COCHRAN CEMETERY (#38)

T24N R5E SEC 34

Map #10u

Originally canvassed on 19 Sept 1981 by Nancy Kurz, Betty Hanks, Ben Wisdom and Paul Morrow, this cemetery is one of the older ones in Butler county,  first land being donated by Joel Cochran in the early 1800s. The cemetery is comprised of an old and new sections. The older section has numerous graves with no stones or only fieldstone for a marker, with no record of who is buried there.

In the older section is a memorial to five slaves who are buried there. Paul Morrow's great-grandfather Brannum had slaves and when they were freed, Mr. Brannum gave each of them 40 acres of land. The older portion of the cemetery came from the section given to the slaves, a family by the name of James. They remained in the area after receiving their freedom. Mr. Brannum gave one of the families 40 acres joining Cochran cemetery on the north, and the other family received 40 acres about two miles northeast of the cemetery. 

This information was passed on to Paul Morrow years ago by his father. The location of the graves was established by Charlie Franklin in the early 1940's. Charlie was working at the cemetery when four black people came to see the graves of their loved ones. The graves had been marked by a pine bush which had grown into a

pine tree, and only a stump remained to tell the story. At some point in time, a plaque was placed in the cemetery telling the story, and metal markers were place at the individual grave sites, reading:  'Slave 1', 'Slave 2' etc.  It is not known who placed these markers in the cemetery.

The James family attended the Bethel Baptist log church located less than a mile north of the junction of 67 and 160 highways.  The location of the church was identified for us by Edward Combs.

The land for the newer section of the cemetery was donated by Mr. Morrow's grandmother, Eliza Langley.

In late Oct 1990, the cemetery was canvassed again by Betty Hanks and Joe and Terry McLean. This was done to pick up burials made since 1981.  When possible, the newer information was placed in proximity to the families earlier identified, trying to keep relationships intact.  The remaining names are listed together at the end of the record. Also included are names gleaned from miscellaneous sources, which are identified when known. We could locate only two of the metal markers identifying the graves of the slaves.  Those were almost completely buried in the ground.  The only legible one was marked "slave #4".  The plaque with the story could not be found. 

                                                 Mr. Paul Morrow died in 1990 and is buried in the cemetery.

JEFFERS, Elizabeth Ann    1 Mar 1859 - 30 Jan 1942

CHANCE, M. Luther    6 Sep 1883 -

CHANCE, Anna M.    3 May 1887 - 9 Dec 1965

MORRIS, William    1845 - 1907

MORRIS, Ludia    1879 - 1908

WARD, Allen    12 May 1867 - 5 May 1936

WARD, Annie    31 May 1873 - 30 Mar 1946

HOFFNER, Dora J.    13 Apr 1867 - 17 Dec 1909

WEBB, William A.    5 Jan 1909 - 26 Jun 1929

WEBB, Willey    12 Aug 1844 - 29 Jun 1901

TUBB, J. M.    16 Jul 1865 - 6 Mar 1917

MARLEY, J. W.    4 Mar 1874 - 29 Jan 1942

MARLEY, Russell    1901 - 1902

MARLEY, Mrs. J. W.    13 Jun 1872 - 24 Sep 1945

MARLEY, Mary    1850 - 1922

MARLEY, Nathan    1837 - 1921

STROMATT, Aldena    28 Apr 1916 - 29 Dec 1954

TROSTEL, Howard A.   [no dates]

CHAMBERS, Chester    21 Feb 1885 - 8 Jan 1933

GILLESPIE, John Benjamin    1905 - 1952

GILLESPIE, Ola W.    1895 - 1926

GILLESPIE, Ruby Gertrude    18 Oct 1902 - 7 Feb 1918

BARTON, Benjamin F.    8 Jan 1877 - 30 Dec 1928    Co D USV Inf

BARTON, Clara Naoma    24 Dec 1887 - 25 May 1928

BARTON, J. T.    5 Feb 1921 - 12 Apr 1922

WISDOM, Kate & Lonzalo    [FH marker - no dates]

WISDOM, Maude (DRENNON)    13 Oct 1882 - 21 Dec 1924   [Duplicate: see DRENNON, below]

BOYT, Baby    [No dates]

SANDERS, Edna K.    [no dates]

BOYT, Tom    [Hand-made marker - broken]

DRENNON, Ambrose    1858 -  6 Mar 1934

DRENNON, Emma    15 Apr 1860 - 13 Jan 1939

DRENNON, Maude    13 Oct 1882 - 21 Dec 1924   [Duplicate: see WISDOM, above]

HAYNES, Clyde    14 Jul 1898 - 8 Apr 1933

WISDOM, Elizabeth W.    8 Nov 1845 - 11 Apr 1909    Wife of W. Wisdom

MAYES, Nellie    1883 - 1904

WISDOM, Wiliby    [FH marker - no dates]

WISDOM, O.    [FH marker - no dates]

WISDOM, Henry Arthur    5 Nov 1888 - 14 Nov 1945

WISDOM, Jackie R.    ll Jun 1943 - 2 Feb 1971

MOORE, Will    16 Mar 1871 - 10 Oct 1903

MOORE, Sarah E.    18 Sep 1873 - 27 Mar 1915

WISDOM, George    20 Jul 1886 - 1 Jun 1956    [father of Ben Wisdom]

WISDOM, Mary Elizabeth    14 Dec 1859 - 7 Mar 1902    [grandmother of Ben Wisdom]

WISDOM, Sarah Emily    1880 - 1927    [mother of Ben Wisdom]