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Birth:          1859 

Notes
1870 in Dexter, Penobscot Co., Me.
1880 not with parents
email from Cynthia Little via 18 Aug 2011 email from Keith Mole
or it could be that her daughter married a Meserve after marrying Wolford.
I have doubts that this is the person who shows up on the 1920 census as mother in 
law of Frank Wolford.
Cynthia's email:
Hi Keith, 
Good to hear from you and Jim. This could be a mystery to solve. Fannie's daughter 
Annie Annabelle Towle Meserve apparently married my Great Uncle Frank Wolford 
who was born Charles Francis (or Franklin) Wolford in KS 1877, moved to CO prior to 
1900, then to OR & ID & back to OR. Annie may have remarried after leaving Frank to 
a Meserve. I have no marriage date yet for Frank & Annie. I understand they had 
children, but do not know any names. Frank was single on the 1900 and 1910 census. 
I found the 1870 US Census for John R Towle in Dexter, Penobscot, Maine. Listed 
with John (b-1831) wife Cynthia V (b-1836), Children: Laura J (b-1857), Fannie E (b-
1860), Mary V (b-1863), Vesta E (daughter b-1866), and son Sidney (b-1870). So the 
question is if this is did Fannie ever marry as she was using the last name Towle when 
she was the mother-in-law of Frank Wolford (US Census, Jerome ID 1920). If she did 
not then her daughter Annie would likely use the maiden last name Towle. This still 
doesn't get us Frank & Annie's marriage & children. If you find something I would 
appreciate it. Thanks, Cynthia
followup via Keith Mole:
Hi Jim, Thank you for helping with this search. Annie & Fannie are a tough lot to figure 
out. These people are totally new to me, since meeting my great Uncle Frank's 
stepgranddaughter (Sally Wise). Sally's mother told her of Annie and Fannie. 
I haven't found any kids linked to Frank & Annie or their marriage record...I was told 
there were probably two daughters. No kids were listed on the 1920 Jerome, ID 
census, but Frank is listed as married, though his wife wasn't listed, only his mother-
in-law Fannie is with him. Frank was single on the 1910 census and he was married to 
Grace Jones Hatfield on the 1930 census with her kids from Hatfield. It looks like 
Frank & Annie's marriage was short missed the census. 

This may be the right Annie (possible former wife of Frank Wolford) 
California Death Record on Ancestry.com 
Annie Annabelle Meserve 
[Annie Annabelle Towle] 
Sex: Female 
Birth Date: 14 Jul 1857 
Birthplace: Maine 
Death Date: 29 Apr 1945 
Death Place: San Joaquin, CA 
Mother's Maiden Name: Towle 
Father's Surname: Towle 
----- 
This Annie was 20 years older than Frank Wolford 
There are several city directories for 213 E Poplar, Stockton, CA that list Annie 
Meserve (wid Frank) btwn 1939-1944 so could she be the wife of Frank Wolford, and 
she preferred to say she was a widow vs divorce or separation? 

I must stop my search for this day. Are you somehow related to Towle? Just curious. 
Cynthia
MY REPLY:
I have found the Annie Towle born 14 July 1857. In Maine Births and Christenings, 
1739-1900, on familysearch.org, there is an entry as follows:
Anna B. Towle b 14 July 1857 Buxton, York, Maine, residence 1857 Buxton, York 
Maine
Parents: Joel Towle, Sarah Ann

This surely is the Annie in the California Death Index. That tells me that the person in 
the California Death Index is NOT the daughter of Fannie Towle (daughter of John 
Roberts Towle). She also cannot be the daughter of Fannie E. Towle because Fannie 
E. Towle was born, per the 1870 census, in 1859. And it is clear that Fannie E. Towle, 
daughter of John Roberts Towle, is not the same person as Annie.

So if Fannie E. Towle had a daughter named Annie Towle, Fannie would have had to 
marry someone named Towle. I could not find any such marriage in the Maine Marriage 
records. Fannie's daughter would need to have been born after about 1879/1880.

So how to account for the census entry showing a Frank Wolford in the same house 
as a Fannie Towle? Frank Wolford marries an Annie Towle whose mother is a Fannie 
some-other-last-name married to someone named Towle. Towle is a common name.
 more from Cynthia:
Hello Jim and Keith, 
I agree with Jim's research on Annie--and the Fannie E Towle living in Jerome ID is 
not her mother. A few minutes ago I found out from Sally (sallypwi) that when she 
found Annie Annabelle on Ancestry, she immediately decided she had found the right 
one. In fact, she has no idea what Fannie's daughter's name is and therefore it has 
created a lot of looking for a connection to Frank Wolford. Some things I have found 
on Frank--the 1920 census in Jerome ID says he was married the first time at age 22 
(about 1899/1900) so this may have been Fannie's daughter (or another marriage!). I 
also found this week a marriage record for 12 Jan 1920 in Salt Lake City, UT to Bertha 
Allen (his name is recorded as Frank Woolford and this is confirmed by his parents' 
names being included in the marriage record). It says Bertha was divorced. Her 
maiden name was Allen and prior married name not listed. 

Frank's third marriage was to Grace Jones Hatfield after her divorce from Hatfield in 
1927. 

Sally has had several other errors on her Ancestry tree....she needs to investigate 
more before she claims a record as the correct one for the family line. I am only 
checking on my Wolford line attached to her tree. 

I really appreciate all your research. If I ever find Fannie's daughter, I will update you. 

I wish you well with your family's research. Thank you, Cynthia

Parents
TOWLE John Roberts (22 Jun 1830 - 19 Mar 1920)
----- Cynthia V. (1825 - )

Siblings
TOWLE Laura J. (1856 - )
TOWLE Fannie E. (1859 - )
TOWLE Mary V. (1862 - )
TOWLE Vesta E. (1865 - )
TOWLE Sidney M. (Jun 1870 - )
TOWLE John L. (Oct 1872 - )
TOWLE Albert S. (1875 - )

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