JAMES BRUCE "JIM" COCHRAN

James B. Cochran, longtime Palouse-area farmer, died suddenly Sept. 12 at his Palouse home with his wife and son by his side. Jim was born in Colfax, WA to Raymond and Mildred (Dodson) Cochran on Oct. 28, 1944. He graduated from Palouse High School in 1962. After a brief stint at Eastern Washington State College in Cheney, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He did basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, then received orders to go to Vietnam .At the last minute, his orders changed because the Army needed a typist. He spent the rest of his tour as the company clerk for his unit near Ankara, Turkey. After his honorable discharge, Jim came home to Palouse and started helping his parents farm their home acreage on the north side of Kamiak Butte along Clear Creek Road. In 1970 Jim took over the farming operation when his parents moved to Pullman. Jim was proud to be a third generation Palouse farmer. He prided himself on having clean fields, straight rows (God forbid a SKIP!) and bountiful crops. He was honored as the Palouse Conservation Farmer of the Year in 1991, and received an Award of Merit from the National Association of Conservation Districts in 1992. Jim married Jill White of St. John in 1968. Two sons were born to the couple, Kenneth in 1969 and Adam in 1975. This marriage ended in divorce. In Oct. 1979, Jim married Ruth Mincher (Zemek) at Colfax. The newlyweds moved into the new house Jim had built on Olson Road. Jim loved to tell strangers he was just a small-town boy from Palouse – not THE Palouse, but the actual City of Palouse. He generously gave of his time and equipment to help with community projects. He was a longtime member of the Palouse Lions Club, serving terms as treasurer and president, and recognized as Lion of the Year. His favorite event of fall was Palouse Days. He organized the Demolition Derby and of course, was very pleased when the Cochran car was the last one moving. Palouse Days also meant a houseful of company and no matter how late the party lasted, Jim was up at 6 a.m. to fix Sunday pancake breakfast and wake everyone with "Elvira" playing at full volume. Other involvements included the Boy Scouts and Garfield-Palouse FFA, receiving multiple recognitions for his time and contributions. His hobbies included photography and gardening. He never missed a photo opportunity, especially sunsets and harvest. He and his sons had many camping and fishing adventures together. Jim was diagnosed with a serious heart condition in 2000. His cardiologist recommended retirement so he sold his equipment, the family home, and went on the road in July 2005. He said it was the first time to enjoy a vacation during harvest. Jim and Ruth bought a "winter" cabin in Yuma in 2008 and spent their winters there until this year (2025). Jim was always the master of the monthly bonfire "Howling at the Moon" party…sipping Black Velvet and telling stories. Jim and Ruth enjoyed cruising to Alaska, Mexican Riviera and through the Panama Canal. They also cruised in the Mediterranean and made three Atlantic crossings. Favorite port of call was the Portuguese island of Madeira. Jim was predeceased by his parents and older brother Don. He is survived by his wife Ruth at their home in Palouse, by his sons Ken in Colfax, and Adam at the farm on Clear Creek Road, and by his brother Glen and wife Judy, also on Clear Creek Road. He is also survived by stepdaughter Nancy (Eric) Junes of Seattle; step-sons Craig (Rechelle) Sahli of Boise and Kenneth Mackenzie (Lori Averitt) of Atlanta, GA. Grandchildren are Carson Cochran, Jackson Cochran, Roman and Dane Junes, Jake and Tara Sahli, Mathilda and Henry Averitt-Mackenzie. Jim is also survived by special nephews Aaron, Steve and David Cochran. A memorial gathering for Jim will be Saturday, Oct. 4 at 4 p.m. at the Palouse Community Center. Everyone is invited to enjoy Lions Club burgers, tell stories and raise a toast. Memorials can be made to the Palouse Lions Club, P.O. Box 68, Palouse WA. 99161 Kramer Funeral Home, Palouse, WA is caring for the family. On line condolences may be left at www.kramercares.com To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of JAMES "JIM" BRUCE COCHRAN, please visit our floral store.