| Life fact | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Fitzhugh Elder, Jr. |
| Born | January 29, 1917, in Staunton, Virginia |
| Parents | Fitzhugh Elder and Sophia Luttgen |
| Spouse | Genevieve Louise Benckenstein |
| Children | Elaine Lock Elder and Fitzhugh Elder III |
| Principal role | Commonwealth Attorney for the city of Staunton |
| Religious affiliation | Trinity Episcopal Church |
Genealogy of Fitzhugh Elder, Jr.
This genealogical account was constructed from the family information contained in the biography below. No relationships or life facts have been added from outside sources.
Fitzhugh Elder, Jr., was born January 29, 1917, in Staunton, Virginia, a son of Fitzhugh Elder and Sophia Luttgen. His paternal grandparents were Thomas Claybrook Elder and Anna Fitzhugh May. The account associates his ancestry with the May, Fitzhugh, and Harrison families.
On July 19, 1941, Fitzhugh married Genevieve Louise Benckenstein, a daughter of Leonard J. Benckenstein and Elaine Lock. Their children were Elaine Lock Elder, born September 4, 1943, and Fitzhugh Elder III, born February 23, 1946.
Family outline
Fitzhugh Elder, Jr.
- Father: Fitzhugh Elder
- Mother: Sophia (Luttgen) Elder
- Wife: Genevieve Louise Benckenstein
- Children: Elaine Lock Elder and Fitzhugh Elder III
Source
This biography appeared in History of the Shenandoah Valley: Family and Personal Records, Volume III (Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1952), pages 48-49.
Verbatim biography
The following is a faithful transcription of the original biography. OCR errors have been corrected against the printed page images, but the original wording, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and factual claims have not been rewritten.
FITZHUGH ELDER, JR., Commonwealth Attorney for the city of Staunton, is a leading practitioner at the Bar of Staunton and Augusta County.
Descended from some of the oldest Virginia families, May, Fitzhugh and Harrison, and with roots extending far back into the Colonial period, Fitzhugh Elder, Jr., was born January 29, 1917, in Staunton, Virginia, the son of Fitzhugh and Sophia (Luttgen) Elder, and a grandson of Thomas Claybrook and Anna Fitzhugh (May) Elder. The paternal grandfather, Thomas Claybrook Elder, was born in Lunenburg County, Virginia, April 16, 1834, and died in Staunton, Virginia, November 20, 1904; he served in the Confederate Army with the rank of major and was paroled at Appomattox with the remnant of Lee’s army. After the war, Major Elder moved his family to Staunton and subsequently with his oldest son, Fitzhugh, established the well-known law firm of Elder & Elder, and no two names in the legal profession have been associated with finer reputations and have connoted more sound legal talents. Fitzhugh Elder was born in Lunenburg County, Virginia, September 30, 1865, and died in Staunton, Virginia, September 21, 1930.
Fitzhugh Elder, Jr., attended public school in Staunton, the Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, and the Staunton Military Academy. For his law studies he went to the University of Virginia and in 1941 he established his practice of law in Staunton. His appointment to the position of Commonwealth Attorney came early in 1945 when he was named to fill the unexpired term of the late Herbert J. Taylor. Mr. Elder is not the first of his name to fill the chair of Commonwealth Attorney in Staunton. His grandfather, Major Elder, occupied the post from 1873 until he refused re-election in 1880.
Mr. Elder is a member and vestryman of Trinity Episcopal Church. He is a director of the Augusta National Bank, a past president of the Staunton Kiwanis Club, a Mason and belongs to the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.
On July 19, 1941, Fitzhugh Elder, Jr., married Genevieve Louise Benckenstein of Beaumont, Texas, a daughter of Leonard J. and Elaine (Lock) Benckenstein, a family prominent in the early development of the Louisiana-East Texas oil fields. Mrs. Elder attended Hockaday School, Dallas, Texas, the University of Texas and Mary Baldwin College; she is a member of Pi Beta Phi Sorority. Mr. and Mrs. Elder have two children: Elaine Lock, born September 4, 1943, and Fitzhugh III, born February 23, 1946.