Mary "Andrea" Cochran

Mary Andrea Menard Cochran was the 1st child born to Bill & Mary Menard on July 6, 1963, in Hot Springs, AR where her dad was coaching football. She was joined by 2 younger siblings, Melissa and Andy, over the next 5 years. After a few more moves, the family ended up in Batesville, AR in the 1970's. The beautiful city of Batesville proved to be prominent in the Menard family story.

Andrea began school at EastSide Elementary, then attended both Batesville Junior High and Batesville High School. She finished High School at North Little Rock Ole Main in 1981. During her formative years, Andrea was highly involved in her church family of First Baptist Church of Batesville where her dad served as Youth Director. Her spiritual faith and enduring bonds of lifelong friends were made during these years.

Andrea was a lively person who loved to TALK. And laugh. She loved music, dancing, and being with her friends. In Junior High, she would follow the weekly top-hit charts and buy a couple of new 45's each week to bring home to play on the family console stereo record player in the living room and have a dance party with neighbors, friends, or siblings. During her school years she enjoyed choir, pep club, cheerleading, piano lessons, and Young Life. Andrea attended University of Central AR in Conway. Her primary career was in the banking and mortgage lending business.

Andrea married Elmer Lee Cochran Ill in 1992 and started a family that grew to 3 beautiful daughters, Courtney, Caylee, and Caroline. Over time, Andrea lived in Sherwood, Batesville, North Little Rock, Cabot, and O'Fallon, MO. Always exceedingly proud of her daughters and their accomplishments, she tried hard to give them every advantage possible.

Andrea always had a deep love for her entire family and close friends, whom she talked to regularly by phone. She doted on her niece, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. She loved to watch football, especially the Razorbacks. Being highly social, she was always ready for any kind of get-together or outing.

Andrea stuck close to her mother and dad in their final years and was a great help to them.

A true extrovert, Andrea loved to make a new friend everywhere she went. She entertained family and strangers alike with her picture-taking antics, Southern exclamations, and humorous misuse of vocabulary.

Andrea passed away peacefully in her sleep on October 16, 2024, in O'Fallon, MO. An autopsy is being performed. She was one of a kind. She is irreplaceable. She will be greatly mourned and missed.

Andrea is preceded in death by her father, William Andrew (Bill) Menard (d. 2019) and her mother Mary Ann Brown Menard (d. 2023). Andrea is survived by her sister, Melissa Menard Smith (Trey), a brother Andy Menard (Dawn) and their families. She is survived by her three daughters, Courtney Cochran, Caylee Cochran Travis (Herman), and Caroline Cochran along with aunts, an uncle, cousins, and dear friends.

The family agreed it was fitting for Andrea to return to Batesville for her final resting place, and she will join both parents in their plot at Oaklawn Cemetery to Rest in Peace at the foot of their graves.