Beecroft/Becraft Ancestors

Benton DeRossett and Mary A. Becraft

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Husband Benton DeRossett [1682]

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           Born: 1862 - Bath, Kentucky, United States 1
     Christened: 
           Died: 7 Jul 1936 - Rothwell, Menifee, Kentucky, United States 1
         Buried:  - Slusher Cemetery, Menifee Co, KY 1
FamilySearch ID: L8M9-5NF

       Marriage: 1888 - Menifee, Kentucky, United States

Events

• He worked as a Brakeman for the Red River Valley Railroad.

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Wife Mary A. Becraft [1672]

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           Born: Nov 1863 - Menifee, Kentucky, United States 1
     Christened: 
           Died: 17 Nov 1948 - Menifee, Kentucky, United States 1
         Buried:  - Slusher Cemetery, Menifee Co, KY 1
FamilySearch ID: K87R-VJZ

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         Father: Solomon Becraft [1663] (1839-      )
         Mother: Drusilla Smith [1671] (1846-      )

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   Other Spouse: William Hodge [1680] (1861-      ) - 26 Jul 1880 - Menifee, Kentucky, United States 2 3

Events

• She appeared on the 1880 Census census in 1880 in Slate, Menifee, Kentucky, United States. Soloman, head of household, married, male, W, age 40, KY, Farmer, KY, KY

Listed with wife Drusey, age 30, keeping house

Children Mary, dau, age 16, at home; John, son, age 14, works on farm; George, son, age 12, works on farm; July, age 10, at home; Dudley, age 8; Nancy, age 6; Janney, age 4; Albert, age 3.

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Children

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1 F Julia DeRossett [1683] ⁴

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           Born: Abt 1890 - Stillwater, Wolfe, Kentucky, USA 5
     Christened: 
           Died: 28 Jan 1968 - Montgomery, Kentucky, United States 5
         Buried:  - Machpelah Cemetery, Mount Sterling, Montgomery, Kentucky, United States 5
FamilySearch ID: G3DN-959

         Spouse: Robert Menefee Buchanan 6 [1684] (1887-1967)
           Marr: 6 Jan 1912 - Menifee, Kentucky, United States 5

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Burial Notes: Husband - Benton DeRossett

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findagrave provides additional info:
s/o Preston DeRossett and Julia Wright DeRossett
h/o Mary Becraft DeRossett
f/o Lily DeRossett Buchanan, Nora DeRossett Rowe, and Julia DeRossett Buchanan

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General Notes: Husband - Benton DeRossett

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Faye Buchanan tells the story of her great-grandfather who fell onto the tracks and caught his leg under the train. He was taken to the shed and cellar-the shed is still standing- at his home in Rothwell. Dr. Reece Kash of Frenchburg amputated his leg. There was no anethesia. Her great-grandfather was given a half-pint of whiskey; someone held a spoon in his mouth, and the rest of the leg was amputated. The doctor used an ordinary hand saw to cut the bone. Benton recovered well and it didn't seem to slow him down. He became a store merchant and county registrar for Precinct #4, recording all births and deaths.

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Burial Notes: Wife - Mary A. Becraft

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Mary is buried in the Norris Cemetery, near Peter Trace where she was born. It is located behind the old Buchanan house and post office and Chester and Norma William's grocery store. Faye's little sister, Doris Buchanan Fox, is also buried there.

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General Notes: Wife - Mary A. Becraft

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The railroad was a narrow guage that hooked up with the standard guage at Rothwell at the entrance to Peter Trace. Mary was raised on Peter Trace, a hollow located 18 miles east of Mt. Sterling, KY and 7 miles west of Frenchburg. She was the first woman to be the statewide chairman of the Democratic party and was the first woman to buy and drive a car (a model T, according to Faye Buchanan who reported this family).

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Notes: Marriage (William Hodge):

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(book 4)

Sources

1 Findagrave.com.

2 Book 4.

3 ancestry.com (Dodd, Jordan, comp. Kentucky Marriages, 1851-1900.).

4 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "FamilySearch Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 29 Nov 2025), entry for Julia Daroset, person ID G3DN-959.

5 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "FamilySearch Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 29 Nov 2025), entry for Julia DeRossett, person ID G3DN-959.

6 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "FamilySearch Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 29 Nov 2025), entry for Menifee Buchanan, person ID M4TN-H84.