Beecroft/Becraft Ancestors

Frantze M Fortney and Eva Augusta Becraft

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Husband Frantze M Fortney [2763] ¹

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 
FamilySearch ID: PW4K-G7V

       Marriage: 20 Aug 1918 - Bruce, , WI 1

   Marr. Status: Divorced

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Wife Eva Augusta Becraft [2755] ¹

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           Born: 22 Nov 1877 - Vermontville, Eaton, Michigan, United States 1 2
     Christened: 
           Died: 7 Mar 1936 - Rock Island, Rock Island, Illinois, United States 1 2
         Buried: 9 Mar 1936 - Chippiannock Cemetery, Rock Island, Rock Island Co, IL
FamilySearch ID: 9K29-WG3
Find A Grave ID: 205042222

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         Father: Elijah Franklin Becraft [2562] (1852-Between 1900/1909) 1
         Mother: Flora Miranda Smith [2754] (1859-1940)

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   Other Spouse: Hans Earnest Gustav Berhenke 1 [2760] (1859-1906) - 14 Mar 1895 - Phillips, Price, Wisconsin, United States 1

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   Other Spouse: Thomas Cork 1 [2761] (1855-1907) - 12 Aug 1906 - Georgetown, Price, Wisconsin, United States 1

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   Other Spouse: Charles Franklin Vant 1 [2762] (1861-1912) - 1908 - Price, Wisconsin, United States 1

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   Other Spouse: John Franklin Dennison 1 [2764] (1876-1933) - 3 Jul 1922 - Rock Island, Illinois, United States

Events

• Her obituary was published. Mrs. Eva Augusta Dennison, 57, 809 Third avenue, died at 11:45 o'clock this morning in her home, following a week's illness of pneumonia.

Mrs. Dennison was born in 1878 in Michigan, and her maiden name was Miss Eva Becraft. She was married four times. Her last husband, John F. Dennison, preceded her in death Aug. 21, 1933. Mrs. Dennison had resided in Rock Island 21 years.

Surviving are six daughters, Mrs. Grace Sager, Rhinelander, Wis., Miss Gertrude Hopper, Mrs. Elizabeth Miller and Miss Lillian Fues, all of Rock Island. Mrs. W. M. Langner of Phelps, Wis., and Mrs. Lillie M. Dickson of Keokuk, Iowa, and four sons, Henry Berhanke, residing in Montana, George Berhanke and Theodore Cork of Rock Island and Samuel Dennison of Jacksonville, Ill.

The body was removed to the Hodgson and Hoban mortuary.

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Marriage Events

• They were divorced. Charges Cruelty in Divorce Plea

Suit for divorce was filed in circuit court yesterday afternoon by Eva Fortney of Rock Island against Frantze M. Fortney. THe charge is extreme and repeated cruelty. They were married Aug. 20, 1918, in Bruce, Wis., and separated April 1, 1919.

Rock Island Argus, 29 Jul 1920.

• They were divorced. Suit for divorce has been begun by Eva Fortney of Rock Island against Frantze M. Fortney, whom she charges with cruelty. They were married Aug. 20, 1918, in Bruce, Wis., and lived together until April 1, 1919.

Moline Daily Dispatch, 29 July 1920, page 7.

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Children

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General Notes: Wife - Eva Augusta Becraft

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Eva Agusta Becraft, Berhenke, Cork, Vant. Dennison. Is the oldest child born to Elijah and Flora Miranda Smith-Becraft. She was born November 22 1877 in Vermonte,Eaton County Michigan. She married Hans Ernst Gustav Berhenke from Germany, at the age of 18 on March 14 1895 in Phillips Price County Wisconsin. After their marriage they lived in Georgetown Wisconsin in Price County where he worked as a Blacksmith-Farmer. They had seven children two of which died in childbirth. the five that survived were Grace,Minnie,Henry,Gertrude, and George. Ernest died of a heart attack April 16 1906, after about four months she met and married Thomas Cork August 12 1906. And became pregnant with his son Theordore Thomas Cork. Thomas her second husband died February 2 1907 in Catawba Price County Wisconsin. And she met and married Charles Franklin Vant and moved to Kennan Price County Wisconsin. And together they had a daughter Lillian Grace Vant Born February 20 1910. He operated a saw mill and had five children from his first marriage two still at home. Floyd and Irel It seems that the two boys never got along with their stepmother and blamed her for introducing their father to alcohol which they thought contributed to his early death they never forgave her for this and left home around the age of 12 or 14. Charles died October 27 1912 in Kennan Price County Wisconsin. It is thought that Eva met a Mr. Fortney and relocated with him to Rock Island Illinois. However there has been no documented truth to this. But she did relocate to Rock Island Illinois And Married John Franklin Dennison July 3 1922. If indeed there was no Mr. Fortney in her life then she was single with seven Children for 10 years. John Franklin Dennison had three children by a Previous marriage Elizabeth, Betty, and Samuel. He was employed by Rock Island Plow Company as a plow beam setter he was a native of Rushville Illinois. He died in Rock Island Illinois at 56 years old following a three year illness. Eva never remarried her children grew up married and left home and she died March 7 1936 at her home in Rock Island Illinoisat the age of 59. She was buried March 9 1936 in Chippiannock Cemetary in Rock Island Illinois.

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Notes: Marriage (Hans Earnest Gustav Berhenke):

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From the marriage record of Hans Berhenke and Eva Bucraft at the Register of Deeds;Price Co.;Phillips, WI. vol.1B pg.60.
Married 14 Mar 1895; his residence, Georgetown; his birthplace, Hagen, Germany; his parents, Fredrick & Lizzie Berhenke. Eva was born in Eton Co. Michigan [Eaton}; her father is Elijah, mother Flora [no maiden name for mother].

Sources

1 Joanne Murray (lajkam@gmail.com), The Becraft Family of Morehouse (http://hamilton.nygenweb.net/bios/Becraft1.html).

2 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "FamilySearch Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 7 Nov 2025), entry for Eva Augusta Becraft, person ID 9K29-WG3.