Robert Lee Cochran, Sr., 96, passed away due to natural causes in Missoula on Sunday, October 10, 2021.  Wake services will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, October 15, 2021, and will continue until his funeral service which will be at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 16, 2021, all at the Fort Belknap Community Center.  Burial will follow in the Fort Belknap Agency with his beloved wife, Ola.  Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.

Bobby Lee was born on May 23, 1925, in Hays to Joe and Rose (Matte) Cochran.  He attended school locally and graduated from Flandreau Indian School.  On June 21, 1944, he joined the Navy at the age of 17 and completed basic training at Farragut, ID.  He completed his tour of duty and was honorably discharged on July 26, 1946.   While in the Navy, he was stationed at Iwo Jima on USS LST #1105, an ammunition carrier.  He was also stationed at UBS LST #37.  Bobby Lee received the Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign medal, American Area Campaign medal, World War II Victory medal, and the Philippine Liberation medal.

Following his discharge, he attended college in Ames, Iowa, and then lived with his mother in Washington State for a short time.

He met and married his love and lifetime companion, Theodora "Ola" Horseman, October 28, 1946.  They had 9 children and adopted 3 grandchildren.  They helped raise Marlene Horseman and Ruben Horseman along with their eldest son, Robert "Babe" Jr.  They continued to raise several grandchildren.  They raised and wanted to adopt, Nichole Main and Mitchell King, but that never materialized.  Lorraine, Theresa and Stormy Brockie spent a lot of time with the family, and dad was very close to them.

After marriage, Bobby Lee took his family and worked at several jobs and moved to different states through the Relocation Program, He was a welder at Boeing in Seattle, Washington, working in an unknown position in Oregon and at Hughes Aircraft in California.   He moved home and took a maintenance position with the BIA and then a position at the IHS.  He was an EMT with the IHS and worked with maintenance.  One of his major accomplishments was when IHS was in need of an incubator and didn't have one, Bobby Lee constructed one.  He retired after 30 years.  Bobby Lee and Ola attended the Fort Belknap College in their later years and graduated.

Bobby Lee started raising cattle and acquiring land to raise them on while he was employed at the IHS.  He provided his wife and children with a home at the family ranch using his parents' log home until they had a new home built.

Bobby Lee and Ola had their marriage vows renewed October 28, 1996, after 50 years.  Bobby was a devoted family man and provided his wife and family with a humble home life.

He was preceded in death by his parents Joe and Rose Cochran; wife, Theodora "Ola" Cochran; daughters, Avis Cochran and Henrietta Morin; grandchildren, Amanda Cochran, Louis LaTray Jr., and Dominique Cochran; great-grandchildren, Ann Marie LaMere, Tiana Cliff, Kathy Jada Mount; and sister, Florine Jones.

Bobby Lee is survived by his sons, Robert "Babe" Cochran, Joe Cochran, Preston Cochran, all of Hays, and Adrian Cochran of the agency; daughters, Dawn Cochran, Sandra (Buckskin) Cochran LaTray, Sybil Allen, and Kellie Cochran all of Fort Belknap, Tracy (Michael) King of Zortman, and Veronica "Nan" (Johnny) Gonzales of Belen, NM; son-in-law, Harvey King of Hays; 54 grandchildren, 73 great-grandchildren; sisters, Vivian Cochran and Ramona DesRosier; numerous foster children; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and other extended family and friends.