General Alexander McCarrell Patch (1889–1945) was a West Point graduate and U.S. Army general whose career spanned the Mexican Border, World War I, and World War II. He commanded forces in Guadalcanal and southern France, later helping reorganize the Army. The account also records his marriage, children, military family, Episcopal faith, and burial at West Point.
William Burton Adams, born in 1903 in Campton, Georgia, built a career in asphalt construction, eventually leading Adams and Tate and serving as president of Roanoke’s Fuel Oil and Equipment Company. His work included major World War II defense projects across the South. This biography also records his marriage to Martha Duckworth and their daughter, Betty Virginia Adams.
George Francis Clement, C.L.U. (1907–?) was a Roanoke insurance executive who managed the Shenandoah Life Insurance Company’s home office agency. A former railroad accountant, he earned his Chartered Life Underwriter designation in 1946 and served Virginia communities, veterans, and civic organizations. He and Geraldine Beazley married in 1934 and had two children, Donald and Sarah.
William Wayt Gibbs, III, a Staunton native and Virginia Military Institute alumnus, led the Clifton Forge-Waynesboro Telephone Company and expanded its services across the Shenandoah Valley. A dedicated civic leader, music advocate, and chess enthusiast, he supported youth programs and wartime organizations while preserving his family’s longstanding contributions to Virginia’s development.
Julius L. Witz (1878–1936) was a Staunton banker, manufacturer, civic leader, and two-term mayor. He guided the growth of major furniture and textile businesses, supported education and community causes, and held prominent roles in banking and industry. This genealogical account traces his family, marriage to Irene Adams, three daughters, and lasting influence on the Shenandoah Valley.
Samuel Beery Hoover was a Harrisonburg certified public accountant, businessman, and farmer profiled in History of the Shenandoah Valley (1952). He led S. B. Hoover and Company, served the Wetsel Seed Company, managed farms including historic Fort Egypt Farm, and held civic, library, Rotary, professional, and Presbyterian affiliations. He and Mary Lucy Strickler had two children.
Hon. Floridus S. Crosby was a Staunton lawyer and judge, born in 1893. After graduating from the University of Virginia Law School in 1917, he served as Commonwealth attorney and Corporation Court judge before becoming judge of Virginia’s Eighteenth Judicial Circuit in 1942. His civic, professional, and Episcopal Church service, along with his 1925 marriage to Martha Virginia Bell, are also documented.
Harry Flood Byrd Jr. (born 1914) of Winchester, Virginia, was a newspaper publisher, orchardist, and Virginia state senator. Son of Senator Harry F. Byrd, he edited the Winchester Evening Star, published the Harrisonburg Daily News-Record, and cultivated apples. A World War II Naval Reserve lieutenant commander, he married Gretchen Bigelow Thompson and had three children.
Charles Vernon Eddy of Winchester, Virginia, was a printer, publisher, librarian, civic leader, and prominent Freemason. Co-founder of the Eddy Press, he later led Handley Library and served numerous community organizations. Elected Sovereign Grand Master of the Allied Masonic Degrees in 1948, Eddy was also active in Presbyterian church work, the Red Cross, Boy Scouts, and local historical organizations.
Major General Evarts Walton Opie (1893–?) of Staunton, Virginia, was a newspaper publisher, civic leader, and longtime Virginia National Guard officer. He led the 116th Infantry through expansion and wartime training, supervised combat replacements during World War II, and retired in 1946 as a major general. The biography also traces his family, Episcopal service, marriage, and children.