Ronald W. Cochran

Ronald W. Cochran, age 84 of Glenwood, died at home surrounded by his family under the care of Pope County Hospice on Sunday, March 28, 2021. To maintain social distance and appropriate numbers, a funeral service for family will be held on Saturday, April 10, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church in Villard. Visitation will be on Friday, April 9th from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home in Glenwood and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Masks and social distancing will be in place at both the funeral home and church. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Arrangements are with the Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home in Glenwood. 

Ron was born March 5th, 1937 on the family farm in Howard Lake, MN, to Roy and Amelia (Drawert) Cochran. He had eight siblings and was the seventh in his family and the youngest son. Ron attended St. James Lutheran Church in Howard Lake and graduated from Howard Lake High School. In 1955, he asked his parents for permission to enlist, as he was too young, and served in the Army until 1957. He was trained in guided missiles and had the experience of a lifetime when his company was sent to Italy. 

In 1958, Ron married Arlene (Stueven) Cochran at St. James Lutheran Church and made their first home in Minneapolis. During that time they had two children, Brent and Pam. Ron found his niche in life after attending Dunwoody Institute to learn the machining trade. In 1963, the family moved to Glenwood for the first time. Ron was asked by the owner of Glenwood Manufacturing to come and set up the screw machine department. The family stayed in Glenwood until Ron was offered the position of Methods Engineer in 1967 at Cinch Nuline, which manufactured electrical connectors for Boeing. They moved to Brooklyn Center until 1973 when Ron and family returned to Glenwood.  In 1975 he started his own machining business R/C Machining Company. He started it in the garage of their home and in a few years it outgrew the garage, so the business moved to a larger building in Glenwood. Arlene worked side by side with him as office manager and bookkeeper and in 1982 his son Brent joined the business as his partner. Ron retired at 65.

Ron was a faithful servant at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Villard serving as president, elder, on the Board of Christian Education and singing in the choir. His devotion to his church and his family were the most important things in his life.

Ron also enjoyed serving in the community including holding office as City Commissioner and 40 years in the Glenwood Lion’s Club where he received the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award in 2018. He loved spending time with friends whether golfing or playing cards, attending the Lakeside Dance Club dances, or just having coffee every morning with the guys at The Gingerbread House. At home, Westerns were his go-to enjoyment in books or old movies. He was also an artist. He enjoyed drawing and carving wooden statues and creating many treasures for his family in his basement woodshop.

He is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Arlene Cochran of Glenwood; son Brent (Mary Lisa) Cochran of Glenwood, daughter Pam Henrickson of Glenwood and foster daughter Amy (Gades) Bounds of Prior Lake; grandchildren Jeremy (Rachel) Cochran, Shelby Cochran (Eric Lillehaugen), Colin Cochran, Daniel Cochran, Marissa (Mike) Stordahl, Elise Henrickson, Leah Henrickson; great grandchildren Aiden and Oliver McCoy. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Amelia Cochran; his siblings Gloria Asplin, Gladys Stolka, Gordon, Gaylen, Gibson, Delores Sexton, Karen Duraine, and Lois Berg.

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