Marvel Winser Becraft
Sex: F
Individual Information
Birth: 30 Dec 1899 - Sloatsburg, Rockland Co, NY 1
Christening:
Death: 2 Apr 1993 - Sloatsburg, Rockland Co, NY
Burial: in Sloatsburg Cemetery, Rockland Co, NY 1
Cause of Death: stroke
AFN :
Events
• Soc Sec Num, 064-52-1785
• Census, Federal, 1900 in Ramapo, Rockland Co, NY
Louis Becraft, head, b Oct 1872, age 27, married 5 years, born NY, plumber; wife Mary, b Dec 1872, age 27, (2 children, 2 living), born NY; son Vincent, b Sept 1895, age 4, born NY; son Marvel, b Dec 1899, age 5/12, born NY.• Census, Federal, 1910 in Rockland Co, NY
Lewis V Becraft, born about 1878, wife Mary J, born about 1873, Vincent R, born about 1897, Marvel W, born about 1900, Donald H, born about 1902.• Census, Federal, 1920 in Rockland Co, NY
Lewis V Becraft, age 47y; wife Mary J, age 47y; son Vincent R, age 23y; dau Marvel W, age 20y; son Donald H, age 18y; son Richard A, age 5y; mother-in-law Charlotte Winser, age 74y.• Event
NOTES FROM LETTERS AND REMEMBRANCES OF MARVEL AND JANE'S FADED MEMORY:• Obituary
Alfred and Minnie Winser married Aug 19, 1909. First child Alfred (b.
1910) died at one year. Then came James Edward (1911), Robert Vincent
(1912), Richard Arthur (1914). Apparently there was another child, Harold
Frank (1916) according to Bible records, who perhaps died at birth...don't
ever recall hearing about him. Alfred died in 1918 from influenza and the
story goes Minnie became unstable and put the three boys in a children's
home near Florida, NY. When Alfred died the baby Richard was four years
old. Mary Jane and Lewis BECRAFT legally adopted him. Alfred was Mary
Jane's younger brother so she adopted her nephew actually. Their nearly
grown children were Vincent, Marvel (18 at the time) and Donald. Richard
was nicknamed Dick by his new family and raised as the youngest brother in the BECRAFT family. Minnie was or became a teacher and the boys Edward and Robert remained in the children's home but she took them out with her during vacations and during the summer.
When going through Grandma WINSER's old trunk at the time of Marvel's death in 1993, letters and cards from the boys and their mother, Minnie addressed to Grandma WINSER (boys grandmother) were found. They'd gone on various trips, even Niagara Falls. Pictures show that Minnie brought brothers Edward and Robert to visit their younger brother and to visit Grandma WINSER who lived with Mary Jane and Lewis BECRAFT.
After Grandmothers death they still visited Aunt Mary over the years
bringing their wives and children. Grandma WINSER died in 1928. Edward,
the eldest son, married a Canadian wife and they had one son, Ted. When
Edward's wife, Lucine (I believe) became ill and unable to care for Ted
"Aunt Mary" was instrumental in Ted being cared for by Lorna and Seely
Schultz. Lorna was Lewis BECRAFT's niece. They had two half-grown
daughters and welcomed a little boy into the family. Ted spent the rest of
his life as their "son" altho' never legally adopted. Today Ted lives in
Newburg, NY - is a surveyor - historian and gourmet cook. He claims BECRAFT history with pride. He continued contact with Marvel and yet today with Marvel's daughter Jane.
Back to Richard (Dick): Richard Arthur married Marguerite Jeffries at
Sloatsburg, NY, April 25, 1943. He was in World War II and stationed in
California. Marguerite went back to California with him (her parents
followed shortly after). None of them ever returned to NY. Margerite was
a very possessive person and so jealous of Dick's attachment to his family.
But he never returned even to his adopted father's funeral. (Lewis BECRAFT died in 1951). Dick received equal inheritance along with Vincent, Marvel and Donald. Dick and Marguerite had one son, named Robert, I believe.
Altho' Marvel tried to keep contact, correspondence very rare. However, in
one of the last letters Marvel received they were living in Modesto, CA and
Marguerite said they had a grandchild but they'd probably never see it.
They never saw their son and his wife. I don't know what the problem...something about religion I believe. At one time Marvel won a
free ticket to California and called Dick who was excited about her coming.
But the next day he called and told her not to come, Marge was sick and
didn't want company....Marvel was disappointed and never got to see
them again. At the time of Marvel's death, Jane wrote to their Modesto
address. No word came from them and the letter was never returned as
undelivered. So we never knew what happened to Dick and his family. He
would be in his 80's at this time.
Obit for Marvel W. Babcook
Homemaker
Marvel W. Babcook, who regaled children about Sloatsburg in the early 1900s, died Friday, April 2,
1993, at Ramapo Manor Nursing Center in Suffern. She was 92.
Born Dec. 30, 1899 in Sloatsburg to Lewis and Mary Jane Winser Becraft. Mrs. Babcook was a
lifelong resident of the western Ramapo village.
She attended Sloatsburg Methodist Church and belonged to Sloatsburg Senior Citizens and
Sloatsburg Historical Society.
For the Historical Society's Local History Class, Mrs. Babcook often described life in Rockland in her
youth to fourth graders at Sloatsburg Elementary School. Her last class was Nov. 9, 1992.
Mrs. Babcook is survived by a daughter, Jane Davis of Tuscaloosa, Ala.; a John of Naples, Fla.; eight
grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.
Her husband John died in 1964.
A service will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday at Sloatsburg Methodist Church, Route 17, Sloatsburg, with
burial in Sloatsburg Cemetery.
Calling hours will be Tuesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Wanamaker and Carlough Funeral Home,
Eagle Valley Road, Sloatsburg.
The family requests donations be made in Mrs. Babcook's memory to Sloatsburg Methodist Church,
Orange Turnpike, Sloatsburg, N.Y., 10974.
Parents
Father: Louis Vincent Becraft 1
Mother: Mary Jane Windsor 1
Spouses and Children
1. *John Henry Babcock III 1
Marriage: Abt 1922 - Sloatsburg, Rockland Co, NY
Status:
Sources
1. David (David Wallace
email: davidmw00@yahoo.com).