Cochran Family Combined Cronology

 

The Cochran Family Combined Chronology

The Cochran Children:

Cynthia (Cindy):

Cindy (Cochran) Muncey is the firstborn of the Cochran Family and has three daughters Kacey, Amber and Audry. Cynthia can be seen in the right image holding one of her daughters (Pictured Right).

Pamela (Pam):

Pamela (Cochran) McDowell is the youngest of the Cochran Daughters and has one son named Caleb. Pamela can be seen holding her son Caleb (Pictured Right).

Grand Canyon Trip:

While John was employed at GM, and when Pamela was around the age of 7 or 8, the family made a trip to the Grand Canyon. John documented this trip with video and photos. Pamela rediscovered the video reels in 2023 when looking through some boxes she had inherited. In some of the shots, Pamela and Cindy can be seen playing in a shallow body of water (Pictured Right)

In another scene, you can see Peggy, Pamela and Cindy looking over the landscape from one of the outlooks (Pictured Right). The family made this trip in their station wagon; and according to Pamela, they had a picnic. The group can be seen resting against one of the park signs (See Below).

Cochran/Lighthouse Motel:

After his GM retirement, John owned and operated the Lighthouse Motel in Carolina Beach, N.C with his wife, Peggy Cochran, and daughter, Pamela. They had originally named the motel the Cochran Motel, however later changed it to the Lighthouse Motel.

Fun fact: At one point when helping a guest pack their car, John accidentally helped them take his own pillows.

The Cochran family suffered a major loss at this time, the oldest daughter of the family, Cindy, passed away due to a commercial airplane crash (United Airlines Flight 232) during July of 1989 on her way back from visiting her husband in Hawaii.

 

Shortly after the accident, Hurricane Hugo struck in September 1989 the motel survived relatively unscathed, Pamela McDowell recounts that they had evacuated, and when they returned the pool had been filled with sand; however, no heavy damages had occurred. She keenly remembers a rag that her mother had dropped on the porch floor had remained there. The family credits God for watching over them during that time. 

It was around this time that John discovered and reached out to Josè.

In the adjacent photos, John can be seen sitting with his sister-in-law Ella (Peggy Cochran’s sister) and Johnny (Ella’s husband) (left picture). He can also be seen posing for a picture with his wife Peggy Cochran at the Lighthouse motel (right picture).

Later when Pamela went on to marry Rick McDowell in 1991, management of the Lighthouse motel shifted to them as John and Peg took a less hands on approach.