Picture: Joshua Alvin and Mary Jane Gorringe Tolman and Family in 1901. (Top Row: Cyrus Oakley, Owen Joshua, Mary Alice, William Alvin, Lydia Ann, Joseph Osborn, Parley Lambert; Middle Row: Daniel Henry, Joshua Alvin, Louisa Hancock, Fannie Burgess, Rulon Burl, Mary Jane; Front Row: Martha Myrtle, Tressa Lorraine)
(A family newsletter written by John O. Tolman, President of the Thomas Tolman Family Organization from 14 October 2000 to 15 September 2015, about three miraculous stories involving Fanny Burgess Gorringe, Joshua Alvin Tolman, Mary Jane Gorringe, and William Alvin Tolman).
Dear Family,
In the LDS Church News dated September 6, 2008, there were two articles that brought to mind several miraculous events that involved the following ancestors. On the back page in the column, “Family History Moments” is an account by Diane Williams of the Exeter New Hampshire Stake in researching her ancestor, and my second great grandmother, Fanny Burgess Gorringe. She and her husband, William, sailed with a group of saints from Liverpool, England, April 22nd, 1855 on the “Samuel Curling.” Not included in her article, but in Fanny’s personal account, she tells of the ship encountering a storm so severe that the captain told the saints to prepare to abandon the ship. Led by their leader, Israel Barlow, they prayed fervently for deliverance which resulted in angels which resulted in angels surrounding the ship and holding it up until the storm subsided. (Verified in Israel Barlow’s History). What a miracle!
William and Fanny Gorringe had a daughter named Mary Jane who married Joshua Alvin Tolman, son of Cyrus and Alice Bracken Tolman, which brings me to the other article in the Church News entitled, “Oakley, Idaho.” Joshua and Mary Jane moved from Salt Lake City to settle in the Oakley area in the spring of 1881 with all their earthly possessions including a new stove and two cans of gun powder and two sons, William Alvin and Owen. William Alvin (my grandfather) weighed only 2 1/2 pounds at birth and only survived because of faith and priesthood blessings. he was two years old when they arrived at their one-room log home and because of the cold, immediately set up the new stove, but had forgotten Joshua Alvin had placed the gun powder in the stove for transportation purposes. A fire was started in the stove and William Alvin, who was still very tiny and frail at age two, had been placed in a large shoe box at the back of the stove to keep warm. Soon the gun powdered exploded and the stove was utterly blown to pieces, killing two cats lying near William and shattering every dish, window, and glassware of any description, except a bottle of olive oil. Mary Jane took her son, apparently dead and black as coal, in her arms while her husband, his brother William, his father Cyrus, and A.G. Smith administered to him, and by the power of the priesthood and their faith William was saved. Another miracle!
William later married his second cousin, Hattie Naomi Tolman, granddaughter of Judson Tolman through his son, Jaren; and they raised a family of 11 children there in Oakley including my father, William Odell Tolman, who later married Opal Adams, born and raised in Oakley. I was born and raised in Pocatello, Idaho and I would often go with my parents to visit relatives in the Oakley area. A special memory was visiting with my great grandmother, Mary Jane Gorringe Tolman, the only great grandparent I knew in this life. She was such a frail, delicate little women, but immense spiritual power radiated from her presence. I was 12 years old when she died at age 90, in December 1947. The Stake President, Charles S. Clark, spoke at her funeral and stated that she had borne 13 sons and daughters, 12 still living, 108 grandchildren, 150 great grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren. She had 42 grandsons in World War II. She prayed mightily every day in faith that her grandsons would be protected and that she would live long enough to see all of them return home. Every one of them returned safely!!! What a modern stripling warrior story!
These are just a few of many faith promoting stories of numerous pioneer and modern fathers and mothers. Again, I encourage you to record such inspiring histories for your posterity and submit them to FamilySearch.
Visit FamilySearch to learn more about Fanny Burgess,, Joshua Alvin Tolman, Mary Jane Gorringe, William Alvin Tolman, and other ancestors. Also visit the Thomas Tolman Family Organization to find out how you can get more involved in family history.
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First Days in Oakley: A Stove Explodes