Josephine Garis was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio, to John Garis, a civil engineer, and Irene Fitch Garis. Her lineage was steeped in innovation, with her grandfather, John Fitch, being a steamboat inventor. This heritage likely instilled in her a natural curiosity and a penchant for problem-solving.

Josephine Garis married William Cochran, a wealthy merchant and politician. The couple enjoyed a life of social prominence and affluence, hosting frequent dinner parties at their mansion. While this life provided her with comfort, it also exposed her to the tedious and often damaging process of hand-washing fine china, a frustration that would later fuel her invention.