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'''Elaine Lucille Schwartzenburg  Edwards''' (March 8, 1929 – May 14, 2018) was a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] who served in 1972 as an interim [[United States Senator]] for her native [[Louisiana]]. She was appointed to the vacancy created by the death of [[Allen Ellender]] by her then husband, [[Governor]] [[Edwin Edwards]]. She was the longest serving First Lady of Louisiana for twelve non-consecutive years from 1972 to 1980 and again from 1984 to 1988. In her later years, she was a small fashion businesswoman and a soap opera actress in [[New York City]].  

'''Elaine Lucille Schwartzenburg  Edwards''' (March 8, 1929 – May 14, 2018) was a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] who served in 1972 as an interim [[United States Senator]] for her native [[Louisiana]]. She was appointed to the vacancy created by the death of [[Allen Ellender]] by her then husband, [[Governor]] [[Edwin Edwards]]. She was the longest serving First Lady of Louisiana for twelve non-consecutive years from 1972 to 1980 and again from 1984 to 1988. In her later years, she was a small fashion businesswoman and a soap opera actress in [[New York City]].  

A native of Marksville in Avoyelles Parish in south central Louisiana, Mrs. Edwards was a daughter of Errol Leo Schwartzenburg  (1909-1999) and the former Myrl Dupuy (1907-2001).<ref>

A native of Marksville in Avoyelles Parish in south central Louisiana, Mrs. Edwards was a daughter of Errol Leo Schwartzenburg  (1909-1999) and the former Myrl Dupuy (1907-2001).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/83021563|title=Errol Leo Schwartzenburg|date=January 6, 2012|publisher=FindAGrave|accessdate=May 15, 2018</ref> She had two brothers, Frank Charles Schwartzenberg (1928-2013), who relocated to Marshalltown, [[Iowa]], and a younger sibling, Ralph Schwatzenberg (born 1936).

{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/83021563|title=Errol Leo Schwartzenburg|date=January 6, 2012|work=FindAGrave|accessdate=May 15, 2018</ref>

She had two brothers, Frank Charles Schwartzenberg (1928-2013), who relocated to Marshalltown, [[Iowa]], and a younger sibling, Ralph Schwatzenberg (born 1936).<ref>{{cite web|url=

She wed Edwin Edwards in 1949 but found too late that she disliked her husband's commitment to "the fishbowl of politics": "All I wanted to do was get married and have babies and keep house," she said in 1984. The Edwardses divorced in 1989; he remarried twice, but she remained single thereafter.

She wed Edwin Edwards in 1949 but found too late that she disliked her husband's commitment to "the fishbowl of politics": "All I wanted to do was get married and have babies and keep house," she said in 1984. The Edwardses divorced in 1989;<ref name=obit/> he remarried twice, but she remained single thereafter.

Edwin Edwards named his wife to the Senate on August 1, 1972. She served only until the November [[general election]], which was handily won in a multi-candidate field by the Democra former state Senator [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]], who coincidentally had been her husband's 1971 intra-party gubernatorial opponent. Johnston held the seat until his retirement on January 3, 1997.

Edwin Edwards named his wife to the Senate on August 1, 1972. She served only until the November [[general election]],<ref name=obit/> which was handily won in a multi-candidate field by the Democra former state Senator [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]], who coincidentally had been her husband's 1971 intra-party gubernatorial opponent. Johnston held the seat until his retirement after four terms on January 3, 1997.

During the 1976 presidential election, Mrs. Edwards surprised observers by endorsing [[Republican Party|Republican]] nominee, [[Gerald Ford]], for a full term of his own.<ref>{{cite book|title=Public papers of the Presidents of the United States, Gerald R. Ford|author=Gerald R. Ford|year=1977 |publisher=Government Printing Office|pages=2324–25|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BRCTaYzoDlcC&pg=PA2325&dq=elaine+gerald+ford+louisiana&hl=en&ei=yQ1rTrKJLozPiAKQ1pzWBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref> She by-passed her fellow Democrat, [[Jimmy Carter]] of [[Georgia]], while her husband first endorsed [[California]]'s leftist Governor [[Jerry Brown]], but later backed Carter when Brown failed to obtain the nomination. During her last term as First Lady and thereafter, Mrs. Edwards owned a small business which made custom-made dresses. In the 1990s, she moved to New York City in the 1990s to find occasional work as a soap opera actress.

During the 1976 presidential election, Mrs. Edwards surprised observers by endorsing [[Republican Party|Republican]] nominee, [[Gerald Ford]], for a full term of his own.<ref>{{cite book|title=Public papers of the Presidents of the United States, Gerald R. Ford|author=Gerald R. Ford|year=1977 |publisher=Government Printing Office|pages=2324–25|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BRCTaYzoDlcC&pg=PA2325&dq=elaine+gerald+ford+louisiana&hl=en&ei=yQ1rTrKJLozPiAKQ1pzWBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref> She by-passed her fellow Democrat, [[Jimmy Carter]] of [[Georgia]], while her husband first endorsed [[California]]'s leftist Governor [[Jerry Brown]], but later backed Carter when Brown failed to obtain the nomination. During her last term as First Lady and thereafter, Mrs. Edwards owned a small business which made custom-made dresses. In the 1990s, she moved to New York City in the 1990s to find occasional work as a soap opera actress.

Edwin and Elaine Edwards had four children together, Anna, Victoria, Stephen, and David. She died at the age of eighty-nine at a daughter's home in Denham Springs near [[Baton Rouge]].<ref name=obit>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_afea9256-579a-11e8-a8f7-bf13ceaabca2.html|title=Former Louisiana first lady Elaine Edwards dies: Edwin Edwards: 'She was agreat asset'"|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|author=Tyler Bridges|date=May 14, 2018|accessdate=May 15, 2018}}</ref>

Edwin and Elaine Edwards had four children together, Anna, Victoria, Stephen, and David. She died at the age of eighty-nine at a daughter's home in Denham Springs near [[Baton Rouge]].<ref name=obit>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_afea9256-579a-11e8-a8f7-bf13ceaabca2.html|title=Former Louisiana first lady Elaine Edwards dies: Edwin Edwards: 'She was a great asset'"|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|author=Tyler Bridges|date=May 14, 2018|accessdate=May 15, 2018}}</ref>

==References==

==References==

[[Category:Former United States Senators]]

[[Category:Former United States Senators]]

[[Category:Democrats]]

[[Category:Democrats]]

[[Category:Roman Catholics]]

[[Category:Catholics]]