of Fayetteville, AR
April 18, 1925 - September 27, 2025
Olivia Raydean Cochran was born on April 18, 1925 in Una, Arkansas to Pearl Housley and Oliver Pack. She went home to be with the Lord on September 27, 2025. Her mother Pearl, father Oliver, older sister Delsie, older brother Ken, younger sisters Charlene and Virginia, and husband Darwin all predeceased her many years ago. She is survived only by her adopted son, Ricky of Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Pat, as she was known by all was so much more than those statistics.
''Olivi'', as the locals knew her by, grew up on a small farm near the community called Archey Valley in north Searcy County, Arkansas. Life was so different in her early life. By the time she was five, the Great Depression was on. You farmed if you wanted food to eat. The peddler came around routinely for staples like flour, sugar, peanut butter and the like. You could go to the general store in Chimes for anything else you might need. The good times she recalled included hiking over the mountain to Bear Creek for a swim to cool off on a hot summer day, the social gatherings at church and community gatherings. Schools around there were commonly held in a church building with several grades of students all in the same classroom. Pat only attended through 6th grade in school, but she learned much from life.
When she was 14, she went to Fort Smith to work at the CCC camp near Lake Ft. Smith. It was a way to survive in those days. She went to the ''big city'' of Wichita, Kansas to work as a waitress in her late teens. It was there that she met her future husband, Darwin ''Rod'' Cochran. In Wichita, she acquired the nickname of ''Pat''. That is the name we all know her by. But, on the ''mountain'', everyone still knows her as ''Olivi''. They all recognize her, because she strongly favors her mother, Pearl.
In 1953, she and Rod adopted a boy, ''Ricky'', from Mountain Home, Arkansas. She continued to be a homemaker until the 60's. In 1967, Dillons Food Stores relocated the family to Springdale, Arkansas where she thought she had moved to end of the world. Little did she know that the area would be such a quick growing area, and she grew to like this area very much.
Shortly after moving to Springdale, in December 1969, Pat's husband died at age 42, leaving just her and Ricky. She did not move back to Wichita and never remarried. She worked at Emerson Electric for a few years and later worked as a waitress until she retired. She got a miniature poodle and named it ''Buffy''. It was a wonderful companion in the years when Ricky went to college. She also found it beneficial to have a roommate and rented a portion of her home to help make ends meet. Two of which (Maxine and Jeannette) became very close friends.
Pat would still be working in her yard tending her clematis, roses, and potted plants even until she was in her early 80's. She moved to a condo when yardwork was too much to handle.
Pat loved hominy, sweet corn on the cob, pickled beets, salmon, steak, and had a sweet tooth that needed attention every evening meal. Dessert was a must for her. Pat's favorite pastime is playing Rummy. Even in her later years, she could beat you at rummy fairly often.
All services will be private. Pat is laid to rest in Archey Valley Cemetery next to her mother.