Alberta M Cochrane's Obituary
Alberta Mae Cochrane, 100, of Tacoma joined her beloved husband Pete in heaven on November 1, 2017. Born July 25, 1917 to Mary and Louis Schmellmeyer in Farmington, MO Alberta graduated high school in Belleville, IL and left at age 18 when the love of her life, Pete Cochrane, sent a train ticket to join him in Tacoma. He had moved out west from Belleville to find work in the aftermath of the Great Depression. She arrived in Tacoma October 18, 1935 to a flurry of activity due to the fire which had destroyed the historic Hotel Tacoma the morning of October 17, 1935.
Alberta and Pete were married October 19, 1935. Together they raised 3 daughters and ran a business, the Loop Tavern on 6th Avenue in Tacoma until retirement in 1978. Alberta was a loving mother and devoted wife who always put the needs of others ahead of her own. She was our own “Miss Mellie” from Gone with the Wind. She enjoyed gardening, decorating her home, and caring for many pets. Alberta accomplished amazing things for a small woman of 5’2”. It was commonplace to come home and find all the furniture rearranged in the living room. She repainted much of the interior of her home by herself, secretly finishing one wall at a time while Pete was at work in an effort to “curtail the mess”. No one could complete a job more neatly than our mother. Birdie had a special appreciation for animals. She always had a pampered dog or cat as well as many broods of chickens, ducks, and geese that she tended. However she drew the line when Pete brought home a peacock. It was donated to the Point Defiance Zoo the following day.
Alberta is survived by 3 daughters, Patricia A. Anwar (Mian) , Sandra M. Cochrane (Albert) both of Tacoma, and Alberta L. Cochrane (Francis) of Olympia, grandchildren Emma and Peter Geissler, the extended Handley family and niece Cherie Milos. She is predeceased by her husband Pete and siblings Mary Evelyn, Lloyd, Wilbert, and George. Special thanks to the staff of Allenmore Hospital in the last days of her life for the attentive and loving care provided.
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