Resident Spot Light

NORMA COCHRAN

Norma Marie Cochran was born to Thyra Elizabeth Jensen and Andrew Martin Anderson on November 1, 1923 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her mother emigrated from Aarhus Denmark, and her father, of Swedish decent, was born in Brigham City, Utah, serving a mission in Denmark where he met Thyra. Norma is one of nine children, she and her brother, Jay, still living. Norma’s married life was full of trials and tribulations, but she rose above those difficult times. She raised her three girls and one boy basically on her own. They moved to California in the Bay Area from Utah, where she found a job to support herself and provide for her children. She remarried, moving to Paradise, California and then was widowed and then was free to attend church and prepare herself to receive her endowment in the Oakland, California temple. Eight years later she met her prince charming, Grover Cleveland Cochran.
Norma’s father, Andrew graduated from BYU in music, however, he could not support the nine children on a teacher’s salary, so he worked as a custodian at several of the Institutes of Religion at a higher wage. She had four sisters and four brothers. Their family was somewhat poor, but never went hungry, as her mother would bake bread every day. She had but one dress to wear to school, about which she felt embarrassed. They had few earthly possessions but Norma was richly blessed with an elect mind and spirit. Her loving and gentle nature has brought comfort and peace to those she has cared for, loved, and encouraged.
Norma’s energy and vigor has afforded her opportunities for service during her lifetime, even in her 80’s, to minister to the less fortunate and visit the homes of the needy. She became famous for her potato salad, ribbon mold, turkey dressing, and English toffee. Her family has benefited from her example of Godlike love of service and her testimony and faith is magnified in the lives of her posterity. One of her granddaughters, Lena, said, “Grandma gives all of herself to those she loves. She was like a second mother to me and she is a great example of selfless service to others.” Norma has loved her grandchildren and been a part of their lives in love and in spirit for those also she hasn’t had the opportunity to live close by.
The Christmas of 2005, Norma came to Utah to visit her daughters and son, and was lined up on a blind date with Grover, who immediately saw that she was the one he had prayed about to fill his life with companionship and love and to be sealed to in the temple. Their courtship is on a different record, but worth hearing about again. When Grover went to pick up Norma on their first date, she opened the door and the sun was shining, illuminating her beautiful countenance and he handed her a box of See’s candy and kissed her on the lips! That was the beginning of a wonderful romance on December 23, 2005, and they were married and sealed in the Mount Timpanogos LDS temple on January 14, 2006! They celebrated their 5th wedding anniversary this (2011) year. The last five years have been the happiest time of Norma’s life, “We love each other more each day,” says Grover, and he continues, “We love spending time together and taking care of each other.” Norma continues her life of serving and taking care of the man of her dreams! Grover and Norma are devoted to and anxiously concerned about each other’s happiness and wellbeing, as President Hinckley defined as romance!
Norma’s life has become an Emblem of Goodness, as her Patriarchal Blessing prophesied and her children and all who know her call her “Blessed.”