Ward's Millions to Widow and Daughter

I noticed on the information on your website that you were not sure of one of the surnames…. The highlighted name which appears on the link provided below (bottom of email) is Cora Hans Faurote -she eloped with Ivo Faurote in Mar/April 1905. By way of proof, the following is a snippet from the Ann Arbor Daily times dated April 11, 1905.

Mama Forgives

"Niles, Mich., April 11.- Cora Melissa Hans, the 19-year-old niece of Montgomery Ward, the Chicago mail order merchant, who ran away from her Niles home Saturday to marry Ivo Faurote, in Detroit, has been forgiven by her mama.

The rather romantic elopement of the young people was the culmination of a courtship which has lasted ever since the twain were children. Miss Hans took a Michigan Central train from Niles, ostensibly to South Bend. She came to Detroit, where she met Mr. Faurote, armed with a license. Within 30 Minutes they were man and wife."

Montgomery Ward had one other sister (Nancy Ward Hans) who was not included in his will, although her daughter (his niece Cora Hans) is listed as one of the benefactors. The following may shed some light on the reason for that omission.

Cora Hans eloped with Ivo Stryker Faurot in April 1905 and several newspapers of the time (including the Daily Telegram date April 11 1905), reported on the adventure saying that "the romantic elopement of the young people was a culmination of a courtship that had lasted since childhood" They had sneaked away to Detroit and where married within 30 minutes according to the newspapers, and it was also reported that the bride’s mother (and Montgomery Ward’s sister) had since "forgiven" her so all was well.

A few days later it was further reported that there were additional reasons why the couple had made the sudden elopement. A scheme had been concocted by the bride's mother and a Doctor Arthur Probert (once a convict at the Wisconsin penitentiary), to take Cora (then a teenager) to California and marry her to Probert.

A letter outlining the details of the arrangement was found by Cora who hurriedly confided the information to Ivo Faurote’s parents. She then immediately fled her hometown of Niles to join Ivo who was working in Detroit. It was said that Ivo knew nothing of his sweethearts dilemma until she reached Detroit, at which time they quickly procured a marriage license and were married.

The reason behind the mothers arrangement with the ex-con was reported as follows: The mother, Nancy Ward Hans held considerable property in the Niles region which was heavily mortgaged. but which Montgomery Ward cleared and was holding for Cora Hans until she became of age. It was supposed that the arranged marriage was a way for the mother to regain possession of what she considered her property. The caper was thwarted by the marriage, and Cora lived happily ever after with Ivo. They had a child Robert Ward Faurote in 1909 and Cora died in 1922 at age 35.

Nancy Annabelle Hans was included in Ward's will, but apparently that item was excluded from this story. She received $30,000, in trust. The significant line in the letter from Probert that Cora discovered was "we will marry the girl," not necessarily to him, although he could of had designs on Mrs. Hans. He was probably living in Redding, CA, at the time of the writing, then moved to Ben Lombard where he started a newspaper and private bank under the name C.P. Davis. In November of 1905 he married married Olive Hume, the wealthy society editor of the "Fresno Democrat." A month later, a fellow from Chicago recognized him, notified authorities, and Probert was on the run again.