Harold Melvin Wotton Sr. would have been 100 years old today. Born June 30. 1911 in Cushing Maine. Harold was the oldest of three. His little brother Alton was born 18 months later January 30, 1913, and his sister Sylvia was not far behind May 8, 1914. There mom was Laura Amelia Dyer. She came from a long line of Dyer’s and other family names such as Toothacker, Royal, and Grant.

They lived poor in the early 1900's working for room and board. There were a few father figures in his childhood, Elden Moses Wotton, George Henry Roderick, and Bertron Roy Hunt.

Harold married Doris M Gilbert November 2, 1929 in New Harbor, Maine. The settled in the Bristol area and started a family soon after. Their first was Harold Melvin Jr. born November 26, 1930 then another boy Donald Alton March 29, 1932. They kept adding to the family with Ramon Alfred October 28, 1933, then a small break, but next a girl, Laura Carolyn April 17, 1936. Then another boy Carroll Evan October 23, 1938 and Clinton Gilbert January 27, 1945. Supporting a family of any size in the 1930's was a task. He worked as an Ice Man delivering ice. He purchased an old store and moved it to an empty lot in New Harbor. They added onto the house/store and one of the rooms became the radio room where he would repair radios and televisions. Many could not afford television repair so there were many trades for the work that was performed. It is rumored that he traded a television for 100 acres of land.

Harold married Frances Rose Trundy, we call her Dot, and they started a family in Frankfort Maine. Barbara Jean was born July 10 1946, and Marilyn Linda was born January 6, 1954. Harold worked at the Mercury dealership in Bangor and expanded his radio and television repair business. His shop was in Winterport on the main drag.

Harold was a horse lover and a Master Mason. He achieved the highest degree possible as a Freemason. He served as a town manager and retired in the 1970's. He married again April 15, 1975 to Virgina Bell. They traveled all over the US with a trailer.

After researching the Wotton family tree for two years, talking with over a hundred people, listening to stories, one thing is very clear. Everyone seemed to love Harold Wotton. You would be hard pressed to find someone to say anything bad about him. So this must be the legacy left behind. After 100 years, three wives, nine kids, he was a loved guy.

Happy birthday,

Kevin Sigler (they just call me #9)

Harold M Wotton