“I feel that the Senate would be more empty without him because he was a man who kept his word. Leahy stated that he wished there were more people like him. “His legacy will last in programs that received strong support from Democrats, Republicans in the Senate… He is a model for what it should be and he proved that it can be.” It’s highly unlikely that a liberal Democrat (from Vermont) and a conservative Republican (from Mississippi) could be close friends in today’s hyper-partisan Congress. Long-time Senators. Leahy, who was 81 on Thursday, defied these standards. Their friendship dates back as far as 1978, when Cochran was elected to Senate after three terms in U.S. House of Representatives. Leahy said that Cochran is “the best friend I have in Senate,” to Mississippi Today in 2017. He keeps his word. He’ll keep his promise to me. I know that he will keep his word to my. Unfortunately, some people in both parties are forgetting this.” Their friendship was built upon shared interests, especially regarding their states’ rural and agrarian geography, and their dependence on federal funding. Both were chairmen of the Agriculture Committee at one point or another. They also served as the top leaders of powerful Appropriations Committee. They traveled together around the globe and became acquainted with each other’s homes. Cochran and Leahy once traveled to Montpelier when it was 20 below zero. Leahy also traveled to the Delta’s catfish farms during Mississippi’s hottest summer. It was therefore no surprise that Leahy was invited to speak at the funeral of his friend on Tuesday in Jackson. There, Cochran’s friends gathered to honor his life and to remember his legacy. Leahy stated that it was one of the most difficult times in my life on the Senate floor when he gave his farewell speech. “I was in tears. But he looked at me and said that he and he had fought side-by-side with us, sometimes with our faces against each other but always with friendship, respect, and mutual respect. We’d walk out the Senate chamber together, no matter what the issue was.” Cochran’s funeral at Northminster Baptist Church was intimater and more personal than Monday’s highly politicized service at Mississippi Capitol, where Gov. Phil Bryant, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, Speaker Philip Gunn spoke. Northminster was a gathering of speakers who were in close personal relationships with Senator Tate Reeves and Speaker Philip Gunn. They shared jokes about the senator’s passing, including some comments about his long hair and love for the Ole Miss Rebels. Clayton Cochran and Kate Cochran, Cochran’s kids, read scripture. The senator’s favourite hymn “Amazing Grace” was sung by the attendees. A Navy hymn, “Eternal Father Strong To Save”, was also played as a tribute to Cochran’s time as a Naval officer. The U.S. Senate Chaplain, Retired Rear Admiral Barry Black, gave the homily. Black’s homily was based on Hebrews 11. This is Cochran’s important legacy. “Sen. Black stated that Cochran was a man who created a life that continues the conversation to us. Black said that Cochran was a man who built a life that continues to speak to us.” The service was a moving experience for former staff members, who wiped away tears and shared their sorrows with one another. Around 300 people packed the sanctuary decorated with Magnolia leaves and Magnolia flowers for the funeral of one Mississippi’s most famous sons. U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, a Republican of Alabama, said that Thad was “one of the last of their kind.” He took over as Appropriations chairman when Cochran retired. “If there was anything that Thad Cochran knew, it was his love of Mississippi… The country will miss Thad Cochran.” Cochran was laid in state at the Mississippi State Capitol through Monday night. He was also honored by the playing of “Taps,” and a 21 gun salute, before the Mississippi Highway Patrol moved Cochran’s body to Northminster on Tuesday morning. Cochran will be buried at Oxford at a later time.