Donna Cochran Steele

Donna Cochran Steele, age 85, passed away on July 8, 2014 at her home in Covington, Louisiana. She was born in Ponca City, Oklahoma on April 19, 1929, to the late James Lee Cochran and Hazel Ferguson Cochran, spending her childhood in Ponca City. Mrs. Steele graduated from Westlake High School in Lake Charles, Louisiana and went on to earn a degree from Southwest Louisiana College (now USL) in Home Economics with an emphasis on Clothing and Textiles. She also met her husband of 58 years, Maitland Allen Steele, while in school. Mrs. Steele was an excellent seamstress, having sewn for most of her life, and was an active member of the Home Demonstration Club in New Orleans for many years. During their years together, Mr. and Mrs. Steele resided in Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, Slidell and New Orleans. They spent two years in Irian Jaya, Indonesia with Freeport McMoran. After retirement, they moved to McComb, Mississippi. Mrs. Steele was dedicated to her family and her faith. She has been very involved in church everywhere she has lived. Most recently she was a member of First Baptist Church Covington where she lived following the death of her husband. Mrs. Steele loved children and taught in the preschool at Oak Park Baptist Church in New Orleans for many years. She is a member of the DAR and UDC. She enjoyed traveling and has been all over the world. She was interested in genealogy and spent many hours compiling family histories for both the Cochran and Steele families. Mrs. Steele is survived by her sister, Lavona Cochran Rudolph of Loganville, Georgia and two brothers, Robert Joseph Cochran of Houston, Texas and Jack Ray Cochran of New Orleans. She is also survived by daughters Barbara Brown and husband Thomas of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and Beverly Gaia and husband Richard of Gallatin, Tennessee, her son Allen James Steele and wife Sharon Gary, six grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Visitation will be held in Covington, Louisiana on Friday, July 11, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church with a service at 2:00 p.m. following visitation. Interment will follow in All Saints Mausoleum in Metairie Cemetery, New Orleans. For those who so desire, memorials in honor of Mrs. Steele should be made to Louisiana Baptist Children's Home, 7200 Desiard St., Monroe, LA 71203. To view and sign the family guestbook, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com.