WILMINGTON — Sarah Page Fussell Cochrane, 93, passed on to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Sunday, Dec. 25, 2016.
Sarah Godwin Page was born on March 18, 1923, in the Western Prong Township, Columbus County, N.C. She was the daughter of Esther McGwigan Page and Thomas Franklin (Frank) Page, who died three months before she was born in December 1922. Her mother, Esther, later married Arthur Herbert Bullard in August 1924. Arthur Bullard was always her Daddy. Sarah’s grandparents were Thomas Allen Page and Lucy Singletary Page, Confederate hero William Henry McGwigan, who was 1st Sgt. Co. C. 40th Virginia Infantry War Between The States 1861-1865 CSA and Lilla Winfree McGwigan.
Sarah grew up in the Western Prong community and was a member of the Western Prong Baptist Church. In Whiteville, she attended Whiteville Elementary and Whiteville High School, graduating in 1941. Sarah married Harold Ray Fussell of Wilmington April 18, 1942. They had three children before separating in 1959, Elaine Fussell, Alan Fussell and Franklin Fussell.
She was the most wonderful mother, friend, grandmother, cook and seamstress that God has ever made. She will be missed. She was a bookkeeper for many years. She worked for Sealtest, Whitebrook and Pine State Dairies from 1959 to 1972. She also worked for Kmart, Kroger Food Stores and PharMoor.
Sarah met and married a wonderful man William George “Bill” Cochrane on May 12, 1974. They had a wonderful life and marriage for 20 years. He passed away Sept. 2, 1993.
Sarah was a member of Sunset Park Baptist Church from 1942 to 1967, and then she joined Winter Park Baptist Church in 1967 to the present. Sarah was a member and past treasurer of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Cape Fear Chapter No. 3.
She was predeceased by her husbands, parents and grandparents; brothers, Thomas Franklin (Tom) Page Jr., William Henry Page and Arthur Herbert Bullard Jr.; sister, Doris Ann Bullard; granddaughter, Rachel Lynn Fussell; daughter, Sarah Elaine Fussell; and son, Alan Ray Fussell.
Survivors include her sister, Lenora Bullard Hardee of Sumner, S.C.; special nephew, Arthur Vonne Ward and Anna; son, Franklin Eugene Fussell, and his wife, Lynn; daughter-in-law, Connie Savage Fussell; grandchildren, Alan Rhett Fussell, Jacob Earl Fussell, Kaitlyn Hayes Fussell and Lindsey Anne Fussell; and extended family, George Cochrane and family, Kenny Cochrane and family and Patricia Cochrane Elliot and family.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 30, at Winter Park Baptist Church. The family will receive friends for one hour prior to the service. Interment will be in Greenlawn Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Winter Park Baptist Church, 4700 Wrightsville Ave., Wilmington, NC 28403; or Lower Cape Fear Hospice, 1414 Physicians Drive, Wilmington, NC 28401.
Special thanks to Dr. Leo V. Warshauer.
Condolences may be made at www.andrewsmortuary.com.