Esther Adell Cochran Brown, known to most as “Miss Adell”, passed away in Liberty, KY, at the age of 96 on Sunday morning, October 11th, 2026.

Miss Adell was born on November 28th, 1929, in Casey County. She is survived by her 3 daughters, Marlene Brown (&Michael) Carmicle, Diane Brown, and Teresa Brown East; her daughter-in-law, Carolyn Walters Brown; 10 grandchildren; and 18 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Marvin Brown; her son, Cordell brown; her parents, Enoch and Ola Marie Allen Cochran; her brothers, Burl Cochran and Delbert Cochran; and her sister, Rudell Cochran Johnson. As a girl, Adell and her family attended Atwood’s Chapel Church. After marrying Marvin, she joined the Walnut Hill Separate Baptist Church and remained a member there for the rest of her life.

After graduating from liberty High School, Adell attended Lindsey Wilson College. At the age of 18, only one semester into her studies, she also began teaching in the one-room schoolhouse at Dogwood Gap. She continued teaching while she earned her degree and retired after 31 years of teaching at multiple one-room and elementary schools. Even in retirement, Miss Adell was often still in classrooms, serving as a substitute teacher from one end of the county to the other. She loved being a teacher, and she had an uncanny ability to remember her students, even if she hadn’t seen them for years, or even decades.

Eventually, with both her and Marvin retired from teaching, they decided to see the country. They both got their commercial driver’s licenses and became long-haul truck drivers. Over the span of the couple of years, they visited every state in the Lover 48, sent home some interesting souvenirs, visited countless churches and made some lifelong friends.

Miss Adell’s family and friends will miss her, but memories of this tiny force of nature will endure. Students will remember her standing in front of a classroom, the Walnut Hill congregation will remember her shushing Marvin in church (“You don’t know how to whisper”, she would say). Many will remember her bourbon balls and pecan pies; her grandkids will remember her fried bologna sandwiches and sweet tea. Neighbors will remember her digging up dandelions with a paring knife and riding on the zero-turn to mow the lawn twice a week. A few will remember her out in the woods, digging up dogwood trees to bring home and plant in her yard. Most will remember her kind heart and generous nature, and she would probably be satisfied with that.

Visitation will be held 6:00 P.M. till 8:00 P.M. Friday October 16th, 2026, at Bartle Funeral Home Chapel. Funeral Services will be held 1:00 P.M. Saturday October 17th, 2026, at Bartle Funeral Home Chapel. Bro. Danny Bailey, Bro. Clifton Cowan and Bro. Rodney Smith officiating. Burial will be in the Glenwood Cemetery.