In the book's own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1874
From History of Madison County, Iowa, and its people (1915)
W. L. COCHRAN.
W. L. Cochran, who is farming on section 24, Grand River township, was born upon the family homestead in that township on the loth of June, 1874, a son of Wesley and Elizabeth ( Hamblin ) Cochran, a record of whose lives is given elsewhere in this work. He acquired a common-school education, and through assisting with the farm work as a boy received valuable training in agriculture. His father gave him two hundred and forty acres of fine land in Grand River township, and he has since added thereto eighty acres, making a total of three hundred and twenty acres, which is in a high state of cultivation and produces excellent crops. He also raises stock quite extensively and finds that business profitable.
Mr. Cochran married Miss Bertha Cook, and they have two daughters, Marie and Helen. He supports the democratic party at the polls.
As printed in History of Madison County, Iowa, and its people (1915). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1915. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.