Annie Josephine Compton / Cothran

President Wilson’s niece was Annie Wilson Howe (1891-1936), daughter of Dr. George Howe and Wilson’s sister, Annie Josephine Wilson of Columbia, South Carolina.

Annie Howe was first married to Perrin C. Cothran, but was divorced from him after having one child, Josephine Cothran.

Annie later remarried in 1917 to Frank Elbert Compton (1874-1950), proprietor of Compton’s Encyclopedia. They lived in the Chicago suburb of Glencoe, Illinois.

Annie died in the South Pacific while they were on a cruise in 1936. Her remains were buried at sea.

When Annie Howe Cothran married Frank Compton in 1917, President Wilson privately expressed his skepticism regarding the match. Frank had courted Annie for some time, and had been in and out of the White House on some of these occasions. His first wife, Emma Blaiser had died in 1914. Frank had two adopted children by Emma, Frank and Edna. So first Annie, and eventually Gloria, would have been step-mother to Frank’s adopted children by his first wife Emma.