Harold L. Tower (1911 - 1980)

Born 30 Apr 1911 in Pittston, Kennebec, Maine, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Florence Ada Lathrop — married 4 Jun 1932 (to Apr 1943) in Maine, United States

Husband of Minerva Thelma (Rollins) Tower — married 29 May 1943 in Chelsea, Kennebec, Maine, United States

Died 14 Feb 1980 at age 68 in Augusta, Kennebec, Maine, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Elizabeth x [send private message]

Biography

Parents

Sandel "Sandy" Tower, born in Presque Isle, Maine, resides in Pittston, Maine in 1911, occupation: Laborer ^[1]

Lestie or Leslie D. Hassen, born in Dresden, ME ^[2]

Birth

30 APR 1911 ^[3][4]

Pittston, Kennebec, Maine^[5]

1st child, birth reported by F.M. Cole, M.D. of Gardiner, ME ^[6]

Marriage

4 Jun 1932 in Maine ^[7][8]

Groom: Harold L Tower: resides in Chelsea, ME

Bride: Florence Ada Lathrop: resides in Randolph, ME, born 26 May 1909 in Augusta, Kennebec, Maine, Father's Name: William Virgil Lathrop, Mother's Name: Mabel Velma Ross

Divorced:

April 1943 - Claiming she struck him on numerous occasions and had once threatened his life, Howard L. Tower of Augusta sought a divorce from his wife, Florence A. Tower of Randolph, in a contested action heard before Judge Nathaniel Tompkins at Kennebec County Superior Court Thursday (8 April 1943).

Tower said that his wife once threw plates and dishes at him after a quarrel they had in their home. On other occasions she threw pieces of wood at him and once had hit him with a monkey wrench knocking him unconscious, he testified.

The couple was married June 4, 1932, and separated in March, 1940.

Florence A. Tower denied that she has struck her husband but said that he had struck her and chocked her. Raymond Brann, a witness stated that Tower had once struck Mrs. Tower and knocked her across the room.

Mrs. Ada Lanthrop of Randolph, Mrs. Tower's mother, said Mrs. Tower had not thrown dishes at her husband but that he had been choking her at the time.

George H. Hunt and Ernest L. McLean, Augusta, represented the libelant in the contested action while Philip E. Lamb, Gardiner, was attorney for Mrs. Tower. ^[9]

April 1943 - Superior Justice Raymond Fellows granted the divorce of Harold L. Tower, Pittston, from Florence A. Tower, Randolph for cruel and abusive treatment in the April term of the court. They were married June 4, 1932 at Randolph. ^[10]

29 May 1943 in Maine ^[11][12]

Groom: Harold L Tower: resides in Chelsea, ME

Bride: Minerva T Rollins: resides in Chelsea, ME

1 Jan 1965 in Maine ^[13][14]

Groom: Harold L Tower

Bride: Ethel Helen Stevens

Census

9 Jan 1920 ^[15]

Conant's Lumber Camp, Thompson Road, Chelsea, Kennebec, Maine

Everett L Coston: Head, M, age 39, born in Maine, married, can read and write, parents born in Maine, Pit-man of a Portable Mill, working

Lestie D Coston: Wife, F, age 27, born in Maine, married, can read and write, parents born in Maine

George L Coston: Son, M, age 5, born in Maine, not in school, parents born in Maine

Martha E Coston: Daughter, F, age 2 10/12, born in Maine, parents born in Maine

Augusta E Coston: Daughter, F, age 1 5/12, born in Maine, parents born in Maine

Harold L Tower: Stepson, M, age 8, born in Maine, not in school, parents born in Maine

27 April 1940 ^[16]

Route 2, Pittston Town, Kennebec, Maine

Harold Towers, Head, M, age 29, born in Maine, married, rents farm, $6 per month, not in school, 8th grade education, lived in Randolph, Kennebec Co., Maine in 1939, not working, seeking work, out of work 14 weeks, laborer in road work, worked 38 weeks in 1939, earned 382 in 1939 in wages, earned income outside of salary

Florence Towers, Wife, F, age 30, born in Maine, married, not in school, 8th grade education, not in school, 8th grade education, lived in Randolph, Kennebec Co., Maine in 1939, at home

Beverly Towers, Daughter, F, age 11, born in Maine, single, in school, 5th grade education lived in Randolph, Kennebec Co., Maine in 1939

Events

Aug. 1933 - Harold Tower and his wife Florence Tower testified that they saw Richard Crocker of Randolph with a string of gold beads a day after he was alleged to have stolen from the home of Ella Brookings of Pittston. ^[17]

July 1944 - Recent callers were Mr. and Mrs. Murt Rollins were Mr. and Mrs. Harold Tower and daughter, Doris, and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Baker and children, Donald and Charlotte. ^[18]

July 1944 - Mr. and Mrs. Harold Tower have moved to Augusta (Maine). ^[19]

June 1949 - Harold L. Towers, of Windsor [ME], was named defendant in two suits seeking $3,500 damages brought by a Waterville couple who claimed to have been struck down by the Towers' machine. John F. and Laura Adams sued Towers stating htat [sp] no [sp] Dec. 31 of last year, as they walked along the sidewalk on College Avenue, Waterville. Towers operated his car in a negligent manner so that he ran across the sidewalk, knocking them down. Laura Adams asked for $2,500 damages, claiming serious injuries. John Adams sought $1,000 damages.^[20]

Death

14 Feb. 1980, at 68 years ^[21][22][23]

Augusta, Kennebec Co., ME ^[24][25][26]

Burial

Litchfield Plains Cemetery on Plains Road in Litchfield, ME ^[27][28]

He is buried with Ethel H. (9 April 1933 - 10 Mar 2007) ^[29]

Obituary

AUGUSTA — Harold L. Tower, 68, of Togus Stream Road, died Thursday afternoon at his home after a long illness.

He was born April 30, 1911, in Pittston, the son of Sandy and Leslie (Hasson) Tower.

He was the former owner of Tower’s Garage, Windsor, and a member of the Chelsea Senior Citizens.

He is survived by one son, Harold L. Tower, Jr. of Augusta; three daughters, Mrs. Doris Cookson, Helen C. Tower and Lynn M. Tower, all of Augusta; three brothers, George Coston of West Gardiner, and Chester Coston and Lynwood Coston, both of Chelsea; five sisters, Mrs. Stella Skidgel of Gardiner, and Mrs. Lucy Plummer, Mrs. Augusta Lint, Mrs. Martha Hood and Mrs. Mary Dyer, all of Chelsea; two granddaughters, one great grandson, and several nieces and nephew and cousins.

Funeral services will be at 53 Bruswick Ave., Gardiner, Saturday at 1 p.m. ^[30]

Sources

1. ↑ Source: #S9
2. ↑ Source: #S9
3. ↑ Source: #S7
4. ↑ Source: #S9
5. ↑ Source: #S9
6. ↑ Source: #S9
7. ↑ Source: #S2
8. ↑ Source: #S10
9. ↑ "Seeking Divorce Man Says Wife Hit Him with Wrench" Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine · Friday, April 09, 1943, page 12 [1]
10. ↑ "Divorces Husband Who Shot Her" Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine · Saturday, April 24, 1943, page 12 [2]
11. ↑ Source: #S3
12. ↑ Source: #S4
13. ↑ Source: #S11
14. ↑ Source: #S12
15. ↑ Source: #S8
16. ↑ Source: #S10
17. ↑ "Randolph Youth Found Guilty of Pittston Break" Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine, Tuesday, Aug 11, 1933, page 4 [3]
18. ↑ "Coopers Mills" Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine · Thursday, July 13, 1944, page 4 [4]
19. ↑ "Coopers Mills" Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine · Thursday, July 13, 1944, page 4 [5]
20. ↑ Source: #S5
21. ↑ Source: #S1
22. ↑ Source: #S6
23. ↑ Source: #S7
24. ↑ Source: #S1
25. ↑ Source: #S6
26. ↑ Source: #S7
27. ↑ Source: #S12
28. ↑ Source: #S14
29. ↑ Source: #S14
30. ↑ Source: #S13

• Source: S1 1956-1959 Death Index, Maine State Archives; Maine Department of Human Services database, formerly provided by the Maine State Archives, Certificate Number: 8001286. [6]
• Source: S2 "Maine, Marriage Index, 1892-1966, 1977-1996," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KCJX-KG4 : 27 November 2014), Harold L Tower and Florence Lathrop, 04 Jun 1932; citing Marriage, Maine, United States, State Archives, Augusta.
• Source: S3 "Maine, Marriage Index, 1892-1966, 1977-1996," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KCNP-WBB : 27 November 2014), Harold L Tower and Minerva T Brann, 29 May 1943; citing Marriage, Maine, United States, State Archives, Augusta.
• Source: S4 "Maine, Marriage Index, 1892-1966, 1977-1996," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KCJC-WRD : 27 November 2014), Harold L Tower and Minerva T Rollins, 29 May 1943; citing Marriage, Maine, United States, State Archives, Augusta.
• Source: S5 "Pedestrians Seek $24,000 In Kennebec" Lewiston Evening Journal - Jun 7, 1949, page 14 [7]
• Source: S6 "Maine Death Index, 1960-1996," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KCVV-T2R : 27 November 2014), Harold L Tower, 14 Feb 1980; citing Death, Augusta, city code 11020, certificate 8001286, Maine State Archives, Augusta.
• Source: S7 "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VS8S-B31 : 20 May 2014), Harold Tower, Feb 1980; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
• Source: S8 "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFZK-GX2 : accessed 29 January 2017), Harold L Tower in household of Everett L Coston, Chelsea, Kennebec, Maine, United States; citing ED 46, sheet 3B, line 91, family 82, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 643; FHL microfilm 1,820,643.
• Source: S9 "Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24J-ZGD4 : 6 October 2016), Harold Tower, 1911.
• Source: S10 "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KMMF-N6J : accessed 29 January 2017), Harold Towers, Pittston Town, Kennebec, Maine, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 6-50, sheet 2A, line 39, family 30, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 1481.
• Source: S11 "Maine, Marriage Index, 1892-1966, 1977-1996," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KCJJ-DNC : 27 November 2014), Harold L Tower and Ethel H Stevens, 01 Jan 1965; citing Marriage, Maine, United States, State Archives, Augusta. Certificate Number: 170
• Source: S12 "Ethel Helen Tower Obituary" Published in Central Maine on Mar. 11, 2007

[8] "Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24N-8Z33 : 6 October 2016), Florence Ada Lathrop, 1909.

• Source: S13 "Obituary for Harold L. Tower" Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine, 15 Feb 1980, Friday, page 2

[9]

• Source: S14 "Maine, Tombstone Inscriptions, Surname Index, 1620-2014," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q5WM-JYB5 : 3 September 2019), Harold L Tower, 14 Feb 1980; citing Death, Maine, United States, Maine State Library, Augusta; FHL microfilm 101235225. Digital Folder Number: 101235225, Image Number: 00025 [10]
• Source: S15 "United States 1950 Census", database, FamilySearch (ark:/61903/1:1:6FMP-1P94 : Sun Jan 29 18:32:00 UTC 2023), Entry for Harold L Tower and Thelma M Tower, 13 April 1950, Event Place Windsor, Kennebec, Maine, United States, Enumeration District: 6-105, Line Number: 17, Page Number: 13, Digital Folder Number: 108958000, Image Number: 14. [11]

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Elizabeth x for creating WikiTree profile Towers-90 through the import of Lint, Rollins, Mundo.ged on May 4, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Elizabeth and others.