Funeral services will be Saturday July 9, 2022 at 11:00 AM from the Chapel of Taylor Funeral Home with Bro. William Gray officiating. Place of rest will be in the Smith Cemetery in McEwen, TN. Visitation with the family will be Friday, July 8, 2022 from 2 to 8 PM and on Saturday from 9 AM until time of service. To view his service, Saturday at 11:00am, click HERE.
Virgil Reece Cochran, always known as Reece to his family and friends, entered the presence of his Lord and Savior on Tuesday, July 5th, 2022 at his home in McEwen, TN surrounded by his wife and children. His family takes solace in knowing that he is currently with Jesus Christ, no longer suffering with pain in his old earthly body, kicking up gold dust on the streets of Heaven. As scripture tells us in II Corinthians 5:8,” We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
Reece was born to the late Robert Lee and Pauline Gertrude Primm Cochran in Bon Aqua, TN on Monday November 13th, 1939. Reece was their second child and first son out of 11 children they were blessed with. Reece was raised with a strong work ethic and spent his early years helping his father clear land with a mule and plow, raise crops, manage livestock, and build a house that would later be the farm that his immediate family called home. Reece married Mable Katherine Smith on Wednesday, December 23rd, 1959 in Nashville, TN. The newlyweds started a life in Nashville where they both worked at the Werthan Bag Company in East Nashville.
After leaving his job at the factory and getting a new job at National Life in Nashville, Reece and Mable had their first three children, Penny Kay, Janice Elaine, and Jessica Renee. Reece bought land from his father-in-law, Clyde Raymond Smith in McEwen, TN and driving back and forth on weekends from Nashville to McEwen, he completed a house and moved his family to McEwen in 1968. Reece began working for Foote Mineral Company in New Johnsonville, TN and was content to work there for the next 31 years before retiring in 1999. Reece made many good friends there and many memories which he would often share with his children every night at dinner.
Reece repented of his sins and gave his life to Jesus Christ on July 7, 1968 where he followed the ordinance of baptism in White Oak Creek. Reece studied the word of God intensely and if his children ever woke up early they would find him around 4:00 in the morning with his bible open at the head of the table drinking a cup of coffee. Reece became the song leader at his church and he later became a Sunday School teacher where he started feeling the pull of Jesus to become a minister. Listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Reece surrendered to preach May 16, 1977 and was ordained.
Reece faithfully shared the gospel as a bi-vocational pastor for 41 years and showed himself a true and faithful servant of God pastoring three churches in Tennessee - New Hope Baptist Church in Bon Aqua, First Baptist Church in White Bluff, Oak Grove Baptist in McEwen and interim pastor at Highview Missionary Baptist Church in McEwen and Pugh Flat Baptist Church in Cadiz, KY. The Lord blessed Reece with the opportunities to preach revival services, homecoming sermons, association meeting sermons, filling in for other pastors in at least thirty-six churches throughout Humphreys, Dickson, Hickman, Benton, and Williamson Counties. Reece was highly active in evangelism and spent almost every Saturday on visitation in each community where he was preaching and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ along with his wife, church deacons and church members.
Reece was highly active in visiting the sick in the hospitals and helped lead many services at local nursing homes as part of the church programs to share the gospel and fellowship with other believers that could not come to church services any longer. Reece helped to stock the food pantry at First Baptist Church White Bluff many weekends along with Bro. Gayle Westcott, Bro. Milton Barnes, Bro. John Walker, and other church members to distribute food to those in the community that could not afford it. Reece started leading services for wayward juveniles at Spencer Youth Center, which later became Woodland Hills, while preaching in White Bluff and was helped by his brothers Larry and Craig Cochran and their families to share the gospel with many youths who made decisions of faith having their lives changed by Jesus. Reece finished his ministry of preaching full time at Oak Grove Baptist Church in McEwen, TN where he ministered for eleven years from May 2006 thru May 2017 due to failing health.
Throughout the years when Reece was not preaching he enjoyed many things including working on engines with his sons, going fishing with his family or hunting to put meat on the table. Reece also had a devotion to his family in Hickman County and spent many weekends helping to bring in crops, process cows and hogs and chopping wood as his parents used wood for heating their home in the winters. Reece also loved to sing and loved to hear Southern Gospel Music. His favorite singing group was the Inspiration Quartet from Bryson City, NC. Reece and his family took many trips to listen to the Inspirations in person and became friends with several of the quartet members. Sharing the gospel through song was another one of Reece's favorite things to do. Reece sang many years in a gospel group called the Cochran Family singers which included Gerald & Barbara Pendergrass, Larry & Patsy Cochran, Craig & Angie Cochran, Penny Norville, Richard Mangrum, Cathy Anthony & Kathleen Pendergrass.
Reece was blessed with a large and loving family and he was fond of all his family members and loved them dearly. Reece is survived by his wife Mable. Two Daughters: Penny Kay Norville (Tim) of Bartlett, TN, and Jessica Renee Daniel (Rick) of LaVergne, TN. Two Sons: Wesley Reece Cochran of McEwen, TN, and Leslie Lee Cochran (Lisa) of Clarksville, TN. Eight grandchildren: Justin Keith Hill, Robert Reece Norville, Michael Timothy Norville, Daniel Elam Norville, Grayden Lee Cochran, Zadie Michelle Cochran, Kaylee Beth Cochran, and Wheston Reece Cochran. Four brothers: Allen (Sherri) Cochran, Larry (Patsy) Cochran, Gary Cochran, and Craig (Angie) Cochran. Four sisters: Barbara (Gerald) Pendergrass, Linda (Buster) Peters, Vickey Harness, and Sheila (Mike) Rollins. Reece also has 34 nieces and Nephews, 8 great nieces and many nephews and several great-great nieces and nephews. Reece made no secret to his family that his deepest desire was that all his family come to know the Lord Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.
Reece is preceded in death by his daughter Janice Elaine Cochran; his parents Robert & Pauline Cochran; Brother Claggett and his wife Patricia Cochran; sister Sue Winfrey Vaughn. His sister-in-law Sherry Cochran; Nieces Tina Cochran Baker, Tammy Cochran Miller, Lorie Winfrey O’Neil. Nephews: Charles Pendergrass, Carroll Pendergrass, and DeWayne Winfrey.
There is no way to tell in words what the life of Reece Cochran has meant to his family, friends and those who met him. As told in II Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
