Jasper L. Cochrun
Jasper L. Cochrun, one of Amanda township's leading citizens and substantial farmers, resides on his home farm of 101 acres in section 10, his place being known as the "old Archelaus Martin farm;" he also owns 179 acres in Auglaize County. Mr. Cochrun was born in Amanda township, February 1, 1859, and is a son of Simon and Lucinda (Miller) Cochrun, a grandson of Wesley Cohrun and a Great-grandson of Rev. Simon Cochrun.
Rev. Simon Cochrun was a Revolutionary soldier, and for almost half a century was a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church. His birth occurred about 1756, in Kentucky, and he died in this county in 1845, aged 89 years, 11 months and 6 days. He had three sons, one of these, Wesley, becoming the grandfather of Jasper L.Cochrun.
In 1832 Wesley Cochrun settled on a farm some four miles from Lima, on which he resided until the close of his life, at the age of 88 years. Of his large family, seven reached maturity; John, Simon, William, Rebecca, Susan, Jane and Sarah. Simon Cochrun, father of our subject, was born in Ohio in 1822 and died February 11, 1895, at his home in Amanda township, where he had settled in 1855, when our subject was four years old. For many years he was a teacher in the local schools and was a man much honored by the entire community. He married Lucinda Miller, a daughter of William and Nancy Miller, and five children were born to them namely: James, Lambert Y., William , Elizabeth, and Jasper L.
Jasper L. Cochrun was reared on the home farm, attended the common schools of Amanda township, and preparatory to teaching enjoyed two terms at the Ohio Normal University at Ada in 1877 and 1878. He was 19 years old when he commenced teaching and continued in the profession for five consecutive years. He then entered into partnership with his oldest brother, James Cochrun, under the firm name of Cochrun Brothers, engaging in the buying and selling of stock and the raising of cattle and hogs. His brother later removed to Spencerville and engaged in business there, but our subject has remained on the farm and has carried on extensive farming and stock-dealing operations for a number of years. He buys and ships from two to four car-loads of stock a week, and keeps from 20 to 50 head of cattle, being one of the leading stockmen of his part of the county.
In June, 1881, Mr. Cochrun was married to Catherine Belle Cameron, who is a daughter of James and Sarah (Borsock) Cameron, both of whom are deceased. Mrs. Cochrun is one of a large family and was born at Spencerville, February 28, 1859. Of the four children born to our subject and wife, three survive: Paul Wesley, James Lee and Helen Ruth. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which Mr. Cochrun is a trustee. Both he and his wife take an active part in church work and he has served as Sunday-school superintendent and class leader. He was only 17 years old when he united with this church, and but two survive who then were members. He has seen many changes in his section of the county and has done his full share in bringing about its development and improvement. For many years he has been a member of the Knights of Pythias.