(Contributed by the Thomas Tolman Family Organization. Excerpt from Judson Tolman: Pioneer, Lumberman, Patriarch by E. Dennis Tolman, Second Edition, 2004, pages 111-113).
Aaron Alexander Tolman was born on April 16, 1866, at Salina, Sevier, Utah, during, the Blackhawk Indian War. The settlers in Sevier county were forced to flee for their lives. When three days old, Alex and his mother were placed in a box wagon; planks were laid over the top of the wagon with sacks of potatoes laid on top of the planks. They made the long journey north to Tooele, where Alex resided until 1881. He grew into a strong, capable and faithful young man. He herded sheep, worked for the farmers and ranchers in the area, and aided his father, who had two families to support.
Alex met Martha Mary Barrett, a young lady from the Farmington and Bountiful area, when she came to Oakley to visit her sister, Minnie Hale. Soon they were courting and were married in the Logan temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on November 27, 1889. Martha and Alex lived in a small, little home of hewn logs and a shingled roof that he had built in anticipation of their marriage. They left Martha’s family home in Farmington in a covered wagon pulled by four horses to travel the 100 plus miles to Marion. It took five days to travel the distance. They got so stuck in the November mud that they had to hire a team of mules to pull them out. They were glad to finally get to their small two room home but had to live in it for three months without windows as the team and wagon bringing the windows ran away and broke them. Except for the cold, they were quite comfortable.
The Tolmans lived in Marion for seventeen years and all three of their children were born there; Nancy Elva on September 30, 1890; Alice Bell on March 11, 1896 and Cyrus Henry on February 8, 1906.
Alex was herding sheep for the Poulton Brother in the mountains, 30 miles from Marion, on the south fork of Harrington Creek, September 4, 1900, when he nearly lost his life in a bear attack. In his words: “As I was going through one patch of thick brush I met three bears…a mother bear and her two cubs…The mother bear ran toward me…I, supposing I had a fight on my hands, shot the bear. The bullet went through her nose and broke her lower jaw. She fell to the ground, and I thought she was dead. My two sheep dogs rushed to the bear after she fell, but she got up and began chasing them. The dogs, being very much afraid of the bear, ran to me for protection. This led the bear right on to me. I raised my gun to shoot again but the bear hit me with her paw and broke it, leaving me defenseless.
“The old bear was very angry by this time. When she stood on her hind legs she was about one and one-half feet taller than me…When she first struck at me she caught her claw under my left arm which I had raised to protect my face. She just missed a large artery and, as she brought her paw back, she tore the flesh very badly. Then she began chewing and clawing vigorously at me, cruelly tearing the flesh. She also scraped my left ankle bone. Next she brought her claw across my forehead, savagely ripping my scalp and tearing my left ear. One claw caught the back of my neck, inflicting a terrible wound. This wound and the one in my ankle were the wounds that were very painful. I suffered a great deal from these two.
“The bear, thinking she had finished her vicious deed and that I was dead, walked off a ways and angrily watched me to make sure. I wanted to get away but at my slightest movement, the bear returned and resumed her dreadful chewing. Soon, the bear left me again, thinking I was surely dead. I lay very still for some time, fearing the bear might still be watching me. I could not see anything because of the blood that I had streamed down my face from the wound in my forehead. Finally, I got enough blood wiped away that I could see a little. I could see nothing of the bear so I tried to get up. I tried to walk but my left leg was so crippled that I couldn’t stand. I began crawling slowly up the hill….I became very weak; things turned black; and I feared I was going to faint. But, I prayed earnestly that the Lord would spare my life…. I finally reached the top of the ridge and lay there a while before I saw two men on horses. I called several times to them for help and they came… One man stayed with me while the other went for help. This incident happened about 4:00 P.M. in the afternoon, and it was 10:00 A. M. the next morning before any more help came. I suffered a great deal…There was not a stitch of dry clothing on me due to the excessive amount of blood lost. The man who stayed with me carried water a quarter of a mile in a hat to give me a drink.
“My wife, a brother and a doctor came to get me. They put me in a wagon and took me to Oakley (30 miles away) for treatment. The doctor said that it was impossible for me to live, as the flesh was so badly chewed and torn. The entire neighborhood whispered of the sad death of Alex Tolman because they thought me so near death’s door that I absolutely couldn’t recover. I was administered to; another doctor was secured; and my family, being true, faithful latter-day saints, fasted and prayed for me that I might recover.
“I immediately began to feel better, and, slowly but surely, I recovered. Nevertheless, it was six long months before I was able to get around to do anything. The doctor said that if I had not lived a good, clean life, and been a strong man, I could not have lived. What could be greater than the gift of the spirit of God and to have faith in his divine guidance?” (In a Relief Society testimony meeting Alex’s wife, Martha said that she had prayed constantly following Alex’s encounter with the bear. At first the leg would not heal. One morning she said she walked out on the front porch and there stood a handsome man. He…said, “Good morning. How are you this morning?” She replied, “I am well, but my husband is very ill. He was attached by a bear and his leg is badly mangled.” He led Martha to a juniper bush and an aspen tree and said, “We will gather some wood and bark from each tree and burn them, then take the ashes, make a poultice and apply it to the leg which is so badly infected.” Martha did as he said and turned to talk to him, but he was gone. She testified that she knew that it was one of the three Nephites or John the Beloved.)
Alex moved his family to Murtaugh, Twin Falls County, Idaho, in 1907. They lived in a granary and buggy shed all summer while they built their house. There was not a branch or ward of the LDS church in Murtaugh when they arrived, so they joined with other citizens of the new community and held Sunday School and bible study. They adjusted to their new life and made many friends. Finally, there were enough LDS members to organize their own Sunday School.
The Tolman family hosted the first community 4th of July celebration at their home. They served homemade ice cream with strawberries, had a program, played games and danced at night.
A few years later, the Tolman family moved to Twin Falls, Idaho, so that the girls could have better schooling. They lived there until both girls finished high school then Alex, Martha and Henry moved south of Twin Falls to a newly opened farming area known as the Salmon Tract. They were real pioneers and had a very difficult time. Just as they were getting on their feet a fire broke out and burned everything they had except the clothing they were wearing. Martha and Henry had to fight the fire by themselves as Alex was away working. Friends soon came and helped them get another house, clothing and furniture. Just a few years later, the water allocation from the Salmon River was cut and they were left without a means to irrigate their farm. They returned to Murtaugh where old friends and new friends came to their aid.
Martha ran a boarding house/hotel near the railroad station while Alex worked for various farmers and merchants. Henry was on his own trying his hand at logging, ranching, etc. Soon he came home with his new bride, Esther (Tessa) Tolman and the two families bought a small frame home to share. They got a contract to run the local school buses and were in the busing and trucking business until Alex retired.
Alex always had cows, horses, sheep, chickens, rabbits and other animals. He raised a large garden that he shared with his neighbors and was known for his honesty and industry. Alex was very well respected in the community. One of his friends was the local Methodist minister, Mr. Morrison, who was not fond of “Mormons” but said this of Alex Tolman, “no greater man ever walked the face of the earth than Alex Tolman. His only problem was that he was a damned “Mormon”. Alex didn’t swear or use foul language. He obeyed the word of wisdom and found it very difficult to drink some alcohol the doctor prescribed for him when he had hardening of the arteries. He was very kind to animals. One incident that bears telling is while herding his cows into the corral to milk, one of them ran the wrong way. He picked up a piece of sage brush and threw it at her. The sage brush began to spin and struck the cow in the eye, gouging the eyeball out. Alex wept with sorrow for having caused the animal pain.
(Alex Richard lived with his grandparent’s for several years, as well as across the street for many more years. He remembers his grandfather Tolman as a kind, devoted and gentle man. He never wavered in his testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He lived as good a life as any man could and was respected by one and all. If all mankind had the decent principles and work ethic of Alex Tolman, there would be neither dissent nor disagreement. He honored and respected this good man and looked to him as an example of what a bearer of the priesthood, a true son of God should be.)
Aaron Alexander Tolman died at his home on October 31, 1942 and was buried in the Tolman family plot at the Marion Cemetery.