Hulda Cochran Arant

Hulda was born April 30, 1930, in Metter, Georgia, the youngest of six children of the late Robert and Ruth Cochran. Her family moved to Columbia, South Carolina, while she was still a child, and she was a South Carolinian from that day forward.

She was in the eighth grade when she first met Shala Henry “Buddy” Arant, a sun-tanned, blonde-headed baseball player who also happened to be a wonderful dancer. She fell in love immediately, and she never got over it. They married in 1954 and enjoyed 62 beautiful years of marriage.

Hulda attended Columbia City Schools and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She went on to a career as a civilian dental therapist at the Fort Jackson Dental Clinic, where she served soldiers and their families for many years.

Her faith was the center of everything. A devoted member of First Baptist Church in Columbia, she sang in the choir, taught Sunday School, and led the Woman’s Missionary Union for many years. She was faithful in visiting the elderly and the homebound, and she rarely arrived empty-handed. There were flowers, and there was almost always her famous brown sugar pound cake. She believed that love for the Lord was something you demonstrated by showing up for people, and for her whole life, she showed up.

More than anything else, Hulda, known affectionately as Mema, loved her family. She had one daughter, Carol, three grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren, and there was nothing on this earth she loved more than holding and rocking a great grandbaby. Weston, Patrick, Levi, Reece, Walker and Charlie were the great joy of her final years. She remained extraordinarily close to her five siblings, and she loved her 18 nieces and nephews as though they were her own.

She was, by wide agreement, the best dressed, the best dancer and the best cook anyone knew. Her brown sugar pound cake and her macaroni and cheese were legendary, and no one left her table hungry. She had a beautiful singing voice, an easy grace and a gift for hospitality. She was a friend to all and loved by all. She was also a devoted sports fan, cheering for the Atlanta Braves and following the Carolina Gamecocks, Clemson Tigers, Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Wofford Terriers and Tennessee Volunteers with equal enthusiasm.

In her late 80s, Hulda moved to Greensboro to be closer to her daughter. She did not simply settle in at Abbotswood at Irving Park; she went to work. She delivered newspapers to friends, volunteered in the shop, helped residents find their way and checked in daily on friends with limited mobility. She recruited her neighbors to walk with her after dinner, and at 93 she was still covering three miles a day. In a few short years she made a lasting impression on that community, as she did on every community she was ever part of.

Hulda is survived by her daughter, Carol Matthews (John) of Greensboro; her grandchildren, Michael Matthews (Ashley) of Knoxville, Katharine Matthews of Charleston, and Melanie Jennings (Blake) of Greensboro; and her six great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her parents; her husband, Buddy Arant; and her siblings, Ed Cochran, Robert Cochran, Paden Cochran, Gwen Norris and Carolyn Wonders.

The family extends special thanks to Nadia Hodgson and the caregiving team at Senior Transitions for the exceptional 24-hour care they provided over the last year, and to AuthoraCare and the wonderful staff at Abbotswood at Irving Park.

A celebration of Hulda’s life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at Dunbar Funeral Home, 3926 Devine Street, Columbia, SC 29205, with a graveside service at Greenlawn Memorial Park immediately following.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church of Columbia, 1306 Hampton Street, Columbia, SC 29201 or to the Abbotswood Employee Appreciation Fund, 3504 Flint Street, Greensboro, NC 27405.

Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com.