Margaret Cochran Kiefer

Margaret Cochran Kiefer of Temple was born March 20, 1931, in the Meeks Community of East Bell County to Fred and Pairlee Barnes Cochran and passed away in a local hospital on May 8, 2018 at the age of 87.  Services will be held at 11:00 AM Monday, May 14, 2018 at Scanio-Harper Funeral Home in Temple with Paul Thompson officiating. Burial will be private at Hillcrest Cemetery. She grew up in the Meeks Community and began school in the Casey School at Meeks.  She graduated from Buckholts High School in 1949.  She accepted Jesus Christ at the South Elm Baptist Church in Milam County under the outside Tabernacle and was baptized in Big Elm Creek in Milam County. After graduating from high school, she attended Mary Hardin-Baylor and Draughon's Business College in Austin where she received an Executive Secretary Diploma.  She then worked for the City of Austin Electric Distribution Department for 10 years. She also worked eight years for the Round Rock Lime Company in Round Rock. In 1971 she returned to Bell County to work for the Temple Police Department and later for the Finance Department as Assistant City Secretary.  She received the City of Temple City Commissioners' Award in 1979.  In 1985 she became the City Clerk for the City of Belton and retired from that position in 1989. On November 16, 1979, Margaret married Joseph F. Kiefer, Sr. at Canyon Creek Baptist Church, where they were charter members and where she also worked part time following her retirement from the City of Belton.  Prior to her retirement, she attended Temple College and earned a Management Certificate in the Business Department. Margaret was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and grandparents.  She is survived by Joseph F. Kiefer, Jr. and wife Cathy, granddaughter Stacy Kiefer Sturlin and husband Matthew, grandson Shane Kiefer and wife Jennifer, great grandchildren Layla and Natalie Kiefer and Ella and Luke Sturlin, and extended family Rick and Dianne Dusold, and god children Elizabeth, Richard, and Phillip Dusold. Pallbearers:  Danny Stephens, Mark Erskine, Shane Kiefer, Matthew Sturlin, Richard Dusold, Phillip Dusold.  Honorary Pallbearers are Rick Dusold and Barney Knight. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Class of 1953 Endowed Scholarship Fund at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor or the organization of your choice.