George Gardner Elder (1891 - 1972)

Florist. Son of Hugh Elder and Clementina Wood born February 9, 1891 Larkhall, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Educated as a landscape gardener at Drummond Castle and Kew Gardens, London, UK. Emigrated to Massachusetts at age 20 in April 1911 to work as a nurseryman for the R. & J. Farquhar Company of Elm Street, Dedham, MA. He came to the U. S. with a pocket full of begonia seeds. He worked as a landscape gardener for the Madame Hopkin's estate in Pomfret, CT. There he cared for many greenhouses under the superintendent, Robert Rust. Later he went to Eastern Point, Gloucester, MA to lay out gardens for Henry Davis Sleeper at "Beauport". In 1914, he worked on the gardens of Albert Weatherby of Weston, MA and at the Howe estate "Riverdale" at Groton, MA.

George married Thelma Olive Pope, daughter of Francis Hooker Pope and Ella Misselle Page of Weston, MA. They were married at Ferndale Manor, Weston, MA by Reverend Joseph E. Perry on October 22, 1919.

Children:

Judith Page 19201123 Wellesley, MA
Geneva Pope 19220104 Wellesley, MA
Hugh Francis 19231225 Wellesley, MA
Robert Wood 19251102 Wellesley, MA
David Rutherford 19261114 Wellesley, MA
Jonathan Rodgers 19280525 Milford, MA
Andrew Ross 19291102 Newton, MA
Jean Carol 19310217 Newton, MA
Donald Dwight 19320430 Newton, MA
Stephen Barclay 19331109 Newton, MA
George Dustin 19350317 Newton, MA
Diane Elizabeth 19380202 Framingham, MA

Elder Children 1954 Marblehead, MA