Beecroft/Becraft Ancestors



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Richard Harold Becraft and Elaine C Zapf



Husband Richard Harold Becraft [8689]

           Born: 14 Feb 1919
     Christened: 
           Died: 16 Jul 2016


         Buried:  - Sarasota National Cemetery, Sarasota, Sarasota Co, FL 1
Find A Grave ID: 167876095


         Father: Ira Clayton Becraft [3542] (1885-1968) 2
         Mother: Dorothy Gillson [8687] (1887-1957) 3


       Marriage: 2001

Events

• He appeared on the Federal census in 1920 in Dade Co, FL. Ira C Becraft, age 33y; Dorothy, age 32y; son Clarence E, age 3y; son Richard H, age 10m.

• He appeared on the Federal census in 1930 in Finney Co, KS. Name: Richard H Beecraft
Event: Census
Event Date: 1930
Event Place: Garden, Finney, Kansas
Gender: Male
Age: 11
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Birthplace: Florida
Estimated Birth Year: 1919
Immigration Year:
Relationship to Head of Household: Son
Father's Birthplace: Kansas
Mother's Birthplace: England
Enumeration District Number: 0002
Family Number: 435
Sheet Number and Letter: 17A
Line Number: 37
NARA Publication: T626, roll 702
Film Number: 2340437
Digital Folder Number: 4584458
Image Number: 00069
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Ira C Beecraft M 45 Kansas
Wife Dorothy Beecraft F 47 England
Son Clarence E Beecraft M 13 Florida
Son Richard H Beecraft M 11 Florida.

• His obituary was published in the Sun-Sentinel on 19 Jul 2016. Richard H. Becraft, 97, of Plantation, died July 16, 2016. LANDMARK Funeral Home 954-989-8220 - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sunsentinel/obituary.aspx?pid=180717808#sthash.kkphU243.dpuf.

• He was buried at the Nationwide Gravesite Locator. BECRAFT, RICHARD H
CPL US ARMY AIR FORCES
WORLD WAR II
DATE OF BIRTH: 02/14/1919
DATE OF DEATH: 07/16/2016
BURIED AT: SECTION 3 SITE 1537Click to view the cemetery map
SARASOTA NATIONAL CEMETERY
9810 STATE ROAD 72 SARASOTA, FL 34241
(877) 861-9840.




Wife Elaine C Zapf [12920]

           Born: 23 Jan 1921
     Christened: 
           Died: 10 Feb 2016 - Sarasota, Florida, United States 4


         Buried:  - Sarasota National Cemetery, Sarasota, Sarasota Co, FL 1
FamilySearch ID: GHLM-DBM
Find A Grave ID: 160730238


         Father: Charles Michael Zapf [13931] (1892-1971)
         Mother: Hildegard Mary Marx [13932] (1892-1978)



   Other Spouse: Harvey Zimmer [13760] (      -1971) - 1951

   Other Spouse: Clarence "Mickey" Morrow [13761] (      -1998) - 1981

Events

• Military: AERM1 US Navy, World War II & Korea.

• Her obituary was published. Elaine Becraft, 95, Florida
Elaine Becraft, 95, of Port Charlotte, Fla., died peacefully on Wednesday, Feb. 10, at the Alexander "Sandy" Nininger State VeteranÕ' Nursing Home in Pembroke Pines, Fla.
A mass of Christian burial will be held on Monday, April 4, at 1:30 p.m. at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Port Charlotte, Fla., with burial in Sarasota National Cemetery in Sarasota, Fla., at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 5. There will be no visitation.

Elaine was born on Jan. 23, 1921, to Charles and Hildegard Marx Zapf in Paynesville, the oldest of five girls, with one older brother. She graduated from Paynesville High School in 1939.

Mrs. Becraft attended St. Cloud Teacher's College before enlisting in the U.S. Navy as a WAVE in the fall of 1942. She was stationed at the Naval Air Station in Hilo, Hawaii, at the end of WWII. She later received her degree from the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul and was hired as social and recreational director of St. Mary's School of Nursing in Rochester.

Elaine married Harvey Zimmer of Minneapolis in 1951. She taught school in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and St. Louis Park.

They moved to Port Charlotte, Fla., in 1961. She taught at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School in Port Charlotte from 1963 to 1969. She then took the nurses' aide course at the Cultural Center of Charlotte County and cared for many patients in their own homes, as well as her mother, who came to live with her in 1971 and died in her home in 1978.

Mr. Zimmer died in 1971. Elaine married Clarence "Mickey" Morrow in 1981. He passed away in 1998. She married Richard Becraft in 2001.

In her life, Mrs. Becraft played the church organ at several churches, as well as at various naval bases. She organized choirs and enjoyed church work.

She belonged to several church organizations, including the Council of Catholic Women, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Respite Care, and Legion of Mary, and helped launch several parish libraries and gift shops. She was a charter member of the Blue Ladies, volunteering at Dr. Niazi Nursing Home (1969) and Fawcett Hospital (1975) until 1981. She was also a charter member of the Minnesota club and was proud of her 15-year pin as a Girl Scout leader.

She is survived by her husband, Richard Becraft, of Hollywood, Fla.; Mr. Zimmer's children, Joanne (Lee) Carlson and Phil (Sue) Zimmer; foster daughter, Mary White Japel; Mr. Morrow's children, Maureen Banner, Marlene Tate, Larry Morrow, and Cathy Kramer; Mr. Becraft's children, Gary (Sandy) Becraft and Terri Kureth; sisters, Rosemary Koshiol and Gemella Zapf; many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews Š all dearly loved.

Mrs. Becraft was preceded in death by two husbands, Harvey Zimmer and Mickey Morrow; her parents; sisters, Rita Fredericks and Valerie Dalthorp Conrey; brother, Elred Zapf; Mr. Zimmer's daughter, Jean Madsen; daughter-in-law, Mary Zimmer; Mr. Morrow's children, Margaret Mansfield, Joanne Durkee, and Thomas Morrow; Mr. Becraft's children, Dawn Tracey and Richard Becraft Jr.; four brothers-in-law; and a sister-in-law.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Charles Borromeo Elementary School, 2500 Easy St., Port Charlotte, FL 33952.

• She was buried at the Nationwide Gravesite Locator. BECRAFT, ELAINE C
AERM1 US NAVY
WORLD WAR II, KOREA
DATE OF BIRTH: 01/23/1921
DATE OF DEATH: 02/10/2016
BURIED AT: SECTION 3 SITE 1536Click to view the cemetery map
SARASOTA NATIONAL CEMETERY
9810 STATE ROAD 72 SARASOTA, FL 34241
(877) 861-9840.


Children

Burial Notes: Husband - Richard Harold Becraft

Section 3, Site 1537


Burial Notes: Wife - Elaine C Zapf

Section 3, Site 1536

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Sources


1 Findagrave.com.

2 dad1037@yahoo.com (Emails, etc from her sources.).

3 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "FamilySearch Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 6 Nov 2025), entry for Dorothy, person ID LBW6-8XP.

4 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "FamilySearch Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 23 Nov 2025), entry for Elaine C Zapf, person ID GHLM-DBM.


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