Picture: Cyrus Henry Tolman and Esther Jones Smith and Family
Esther Jones Smith was born 5 December 1905 in Marion, Cassia County, Idaho to Esther Jones and Adam Gibson Smith. She was named after her Mother, and since her Mother’s nickname was Tessa, she was called “Little Tessa.” Her father was a farmer and storekeeper and was also Bishop of the Marion Ward for twenty five years. He gave the name “Marion” to that area. Esther Jones was the third wife of Adam G. Smith. His first wife, Martha S, Martin gave him one child, Moses Smith. The second wife was Eliza Primrose Shields. She was the mother of seven children. They were Arthur, Robert (Rob), Joseph (Jode), John, Eugene, Margaret (Maggie), and Hyrum. Esther Jones was the mother of six children – Alma Gibson, Esther (Tessa), Evan, Marion (Dine), Lyman, and Hermoine. Hermoine was born after the death of her father and Lyman was one year old when his father passed away.
Tessa and her brothers and sister helped around the house, the farm and the store. They each had chores and assignments to take care of. When Tessa was five her Father bought her a beautiful upright piano and had it hauled to Marion from Ogden, Utah by horse and wagon. The piano was kept by Tessa and enjoyed by her children until they all left home and Tessa and her husband moved to Utah. It was then given to Hermoine’s family and was last seen in their basement.
One of Tessa’s half-sisters, Margaret, was the grandmother of Apostle Richard G. Scott, Tessa was a school classmate of Apostle David B. Haight. Elder Haight came to visit her when she was hospitalized in Utah before her death.
Tessa started school in Marion, Idaho in February, 1912. She graduated from Oakley High School and at age 18 entered Albion State Normal School in Albion, Idaho. She spent four years off and on, including summer school, obtaining her teaching certificate. She got her first job teaching in the Fall of 1924. She taught in Golden Valley School and in other Western Cassia County Schools. She taught until she married in 1928. As was the custom in those days, Tessa boarded with local families while teaching. She moved from family to family. That is the way they paid part of the school fees.
Tessa and her family had known Alex and Martha Tolman for many years. The story is told that Tessa was born in December, and when Henry Tolman was born the following February 8, 1906, the Tolman’s told Tessa’s parents, “We have a boy for your girl.” It was while Tessa was in summer school at Albion that she was attracted to the dark-eyed, handsome Tolman boy. Her diary reveals her feelings at having to be parted from him, so it was not unexpected that he came courting Tessa. They were married May 1, 1928, and moved to Murtaugh, Idaho.
Their first child, Alex Richard Tolman, was born May 20, 1929 at the home of Grandma Esther Smith, in Pocatello, Idaho. Shortly after Dick was born, Henry and Tessa moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where Henry worked for his brother-in-law, Claude Earl, at a Texaco Service Station. It was in Salt Lake City that Oril Margaret was born, October 12, 1930.
Henry and Tessa returned to Murtaugh where Henry and his father owned school buses and trucks and did some farming. Joan Lorraine Tolman was born November 5, 1934 in Twin Falls, Idaho. The fourth and last child, Tamara Louise Tolman was born September 25, 1942, also in Twin Falls.
Tessa was very active in the LDS Church in Murtaugh. She was in the Presidency of the Primary and Relief Society. She was also active in Red Cross work and other civic activities. For many years she served on the election board, never missing an election until the family moved to Twin Falls in 1949. They moved into a new home at 736 Juniper Street. Henry was working as a carpenter on a bridge and building crew for the Union Pacific Railroad at the time, and this was closer to his work. Joan and Tamara finished school in Twin Falls. Tessa taught the third grade class in the Hansen Elementary School for several years. One of her favorite stories was an experience she had with her third grade class. She always taught her students to eat good food, keep clean, and sleep with a window slightly open, for fresh air. One little boy could never sleep with the window open because Uncle Harry slept with him. One day, the lad proudly announced that he had slept with his window open. When Tessa inquired as to why Uncle Harry relented, the boy told her that his father had gone away for a few days and Uncle Harry had slept with his mother.
Tessa saw that her children always had music in the home. She had a lovely singing voice, although she didn’t think so, but she sang to the children both at work and play. She taught them the Primary songs and hymns. Then about 1940, she arranged to move her piano from where it had been stored at her Aunt Mary’s, and the children started piano lessons. In a time when Mothers did not work outside the home, Tessa earned money to pay for the music lessons by gathering the Murtaugh news for the county newspaper, the Twin Falls Times-News. Another time, she arranged for the piano teacher who lived in Twin Falls, to come to her home and teach the Murtaugh students, in exchange for Dick, Oril and Joan getting free lessons. The result was that Oril and Joan were very good on the piano. Joan has written a lot of music and has passed this legacy on to her own children. All of the children sang, and have brought beautiful music for many years to people in church meetings, funerals, etc.
Tessa always tried to support her children in their activities. There was always a few or a group eating at the table. She was an excellent cook. She was a good grandmother. When her grandchildren were around, nothing else was important. She spent time playing with them. Her gifts were not expensive but were little things the children loved. She loved to have her family around her and was so pleased when she could take them to church with her to show them off. She would loved to have been in the temple with her grandchildren as they married, and taken part in their lives. She didn’t live to see those things, however.
Henry had several heart attacks and Tamara developed child onset diabetes about the same time. Tamara was also a little rebellious and during those years Tessa worked ironing in a laundry and babysitting to earn extra income. She also developed a stomach problem that was diagnosed as nerves, and she certainly was going through a difficult time.
After Tamara got married, Henry and Tessa moved to Salt Lake City. Henry retired due to illness and Tessa was not well either. They did enjoy visiting their children from time to time, most of whom were in California. Tessa did some babysitting in Salt Lake, also. Henry passed away suddenly on March 9, 1970. Tessa was very ill, herself at the time, and passed away the following January 28, 1971. Oril took care of her those last months.
Tessa was very happy to have had the opportunity of being sealed to her husband and her children a few years before her death, and she enjoyed much time attending the temple doing work for others. Tessa was 66 when she passed away.
Visit FamilySearch to learn more about Esther Jones Smith. Visit the Thomas Tolman Family Organization to find out how you can get more involved in family history.