Charlotte Williams Cochran

Charlotte Williams Cochran, loving mother, grandmother, and great grandmother passed away on Saturday, June 15 at Advent-Health Gordon. She was 88. She was born, September 4, 1930 in Atlanta, a daughter to John Henry Thomas Williams and Lillian Eleanor Langston Williams. She spent most of her childhood in Calhoun where she would become a longtime member of the First Baptist Church of Calhoun, and she was a member of the Calhoun High School Class of 1947. After earning a degree from West Georgia College, Charlotte began a teaching career that led her to serve hundreds of students at three Gordon County Elementary Schools. During her 36year career, she was named teacher of the year at Tolbert Elementary and the Georgia Reading Teacher of the year. Outside the classroom, she led troups of Brownie Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and taught Sunday School as well as beginner swimming lessons for the Red Cross-despite not knowing how to swim herself. She was a proud member of the Beta Tau Chapter of the Delta Kappa Gamma International Society for Key Women Educators. Throughout her life, Charlotte loved reading, quilting, bird watching, gardening, and spending time with her five children. She and her husband, Boyd, whom she married in 1950, also loved to travel. Together, they traveled to every state but Hawaii, which she said she would visit if a bridge could be built from California. Her favorite way to spend time, however, was with her grandchildren and great grandchildren, whom she would quickly tell you were the pride and joy of her life Charlotte was preceded in death by her husband Boyd Cochran. She is survived by her sister, Gwen Oliff and her husband, Foy; two sons, Howell Cochran and his wife, Kathy, and Russell Cochran; three daughters, Melissa Tomlinson, Pam Edwards and her husband Al, and Laura Ruth and her husband, Chuck; one sister, Gwen Olliff and her husband Foy; eight grandchildren, Leann Bone and her husband Josh, Brandon Tomlinson and his wife, Susanna, Laura Long and her husband, Josh, John Cochran and his wife, Shelby, Carrie Moyer and her husband Glenn, Emily Stewart and her husband, Matthew, Dean Ruth, and Zachary Ruth; and five great grandchildren, Asa Bone, Brayden Tomlinson, Bryn Bone, Jaxon Tomlinson, and Ellie Cochran. Funeral services will be conducted at 3:00 PM, Tuesday, June 18 at the First Baptist Church with Dr. Bert Vaughn and Dr. John Barber officiating. The family will receive friends from 1:00 until 3:00 PM at the church preceding the funeral service. Burial will be in Chandler Cemetery. Active pallbearers are Brandon Tomlinson, John Cochran, Zachary Ruth, Josh Bone, Josh Long, Matthew Stewart, and Glenn Moyer. Honorary pallbearers are the “Resaca Girls” (Charlotte’s former students from Resaca School): Carolyn Moore, Sandy Adams, Teresa Fuller, Denise Sexton, Patty Holland Moon, and Glenda Kuglar; also, the Mary Martha Sunday School Class. In addition to flowers, memorial contributions may be given to the Faith Forward Building Fund at First Baptist Church of Calhoun. Thomas Funeral Home has charge of arrangements for the services of Charlotte Williams Cochran.