Grandpa’s Life History
Contributed By: Tolman, Carleon Wayne · 13 March 2017 ·
The Life History of Frederick Tolman
Written by himself
November 6, 1943 I take my pen in hand to write a brief history of my life. I was born 8 October 1893, at Chesterfield, Idaho in a log house with a dirt roof. The floor was 1×12 square edge lumber. My father was a cheese maker at Chesterfield. Later, in 1900, he became the mailman also. As soon as I was large enough to ride a horse, it was my job to herd the cows on the summer range in the summer months.
When I was eight years old I was baptized by my bishop, who was also my uncle, J. A. Tolman. At twelve years of age I was ordained to the office of Deacon. At fifteen I was ordained to the office of Teacher and was put with and Elder John B. Orton to go ward teaching. At the age of 18 (1911), I was ordained to the office of Priest.
On October 17, 1908 (age 15). While out to get the horses early in the morning, my pony fell on my leg, crushing the flesh from the bone. The same morning I was kicked on the knee of the same leg, resulting in a serious operation. Dr. Ellis Kackley of Soda Springs operated on my leg December 3, of the same year. In the autumn of 1912 while working on a threshing machine at Turner, Idaho, I got a bone broke in my left forearm. I then went out herding sheep for A. L. Tripp (age19). April 13, 1913 (age20). I went to Blackfoot, Idaho to work at the O. F. Smith Nursery, working there until September. Then I went back to Chesterfield, worked the following winter for my future wife’s father, Keplar Sessions. The first Saturday in June (the 5th) 1915 (age22), I was ordained an Elder and was married the following week, June 10 in the Salt Lake Temple.
That year I rented Rosco Loveland’s farm, also I farmed my brother William’s place of forty acres. I was put in as second counselor in the Chesterfield Mutual in the fall of 1915, and released the next spring and sustained as second assistant to Bro. William H. Robertson in the Sunday school of the Chesterfield Ward. I acted in that place until November 1920 (age27). During those five years, I farmed for a living. November 3, 1920 I went to work for B. Thomas Morris of Pocatello. In December of that year I went to work for the Union Pacific Railroad. I worked for them until March 15, 1929 (age36). We bought our home in Pocatello and lived in the same place all the time we were there, our home was at 605 North 11th. While there I was active in the Sunday School, being assistant to Superintendent W. W. Pyper, also a ward teacher and missionary.
October 24, 1924 (age31), we traded our home in Pocatello to Mr. N. K. Jensen, of Rupert, Idaho on acreage of 13 acres of land east of Paul. We moved to Paul March 19, 1925. Carleon (was just 7 years old) and I came by team. The rest of the family came by train. I worked at whatever I could find to do and leveled our new place up. The spring of 1926 (age33), It was leveled so I planted it to hay, and still worked for wages. November 1927 we rented the old Wilcox place at Paul from Bro. William P. Whitaker and lived there until January 14, 1930 (age37). Then we moved back to our acreage east of Paul. We lived there until May of 1935. On February 1, 1930, I bought a milk route from Vic’s Johns and hauled milk for Kraft Phoenix Cheese Company until February 1, 1935 (age41), then sold the route to Ed Coleman. On the first of January 1935, I started selling Watkins Products, but only sold about four months. Then we bought forty acres of land southwest of Rupert from William F. and Nellie K. Guscheusky and I went to farming.
In church I was Sunday School Teacher the year of 1925 and chairman of the Genealogical Society the years of 1926-27. In September 1927 (age34), I was set apart as third member of the Seven Presidents of Seventies. The same were Leonard P. Allen, Joseph L. Noble, Fredrick Tolman, John B. Orton, Henry A Rasmussen, Robert B. Motensen, Albert W. Harrison, Owen W. Garrett, with Veo L. Schofield, secretary. I labored in this capacity until September 22, 1935. Then I was ordained a High Priest by Apostle Reed Smoot, and was set apart as a member of the Minidoka Stake High Council. On March 7, 1937 (age44), I was set apart as First Counselor to Bishop David G. Hyde of the Rupert Third Ward. Bro. Joseph F. Loosli was set apart as Second Counselor. The Men I worked with in the Stake High Council were Charles N. Campbell, Henry A. Rasmussen, Robert B. Mortensen, Keith C. Merrill, Julius B. Fairchild, and Spencer Broadhead.
October 17, 1936 I went to the Rupert hospital with blood poison in my left hand. There I had an operation on my hand. Was permitted to go home October 27, 1936. Then five days later I suffered a relapse and had to have another operation, this time on my arm a little above my wrist. This was done at home. The doctor would not give me anything to deaden the pain. I got Bishop Hyde and Carleon to come and administer to me. Then Bishop helped the nurse hold my arm while the doctor punched an instrument something like barber shears through my arm. He drained some pus from the opening and then put a rubber drain in my arm. This was put in the lower side and extended through the arm with safety pins in each end so it would not come out. I was confined to my bed with my arm subjected to intense heat for twenty-two days. Then I was permitted to sit up some of the day, but must keep heat on my arm at night. This trouble left me with a crippled hand. Dr. O. E. Mollemar took care of me.
During December of 1936, the Third Ward of Rupert purchased the Rupert Second Ward Chapel and Bro. George Poulsen and I had charge of loading it ready to move. Mr. Briggs came from near Twin Falls the following spring and moved it to where it now stands a credit to our ward, c completed the beginning of 1938.
*I copied this from Dad’s Book of Remembrance.
On February 23, he gave me the following information and I have written it up in my own words.
Thelma T. Wrigley
First I would like to make a few statements about my mother and father. They have never owned a home anywhere that hasn’t been improved inside and outside by their living in it. They both love flowers and spend many hours, regardless, in the care of their yard. Everything must be clean and neat. Their homes have always been a credit to the neighborhood and their community.
The blood poisoning in Dad’s hand was caused by a large sliver imbedded in the thumb. Bishop David G. Hyde asked him to be his counselor while he was in the hospital. The Rupert First Ward, the ward they belonged to for the first year they were in Rupert, harvested his beets for him while he was in the hospital.
At the October Quarterly Stake Conference of that fall, the Third Ward was created in Rupert. David G. Hyde was chosen Bishop for the new ward. They bought the Second Ward Chapel and moved it to the present site. On the Second Ward site a new stake tabernacle was built. Dad was asked to oversee the job of getting the chapel ready to move with Bro. Poulsen. After Dad was able to get out, he spent the winter doing this. In his own words, “I did a lot, even with my arm in a sling.”
To my knowledge, Dad and Mother have always worked on and supported with cash, every building program of the church that they were asked to. I know he and my brothers put in a lot of hours on the present Stake Tabernacle. I also know that he contributed a portion of each month’s wages to the present Third Ward building program.
I am sure my brothers would agree with me in the following tribute. Thank you mother and father for the beautiful example of your testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel. You have shown us, as well as taught us, the way to true peace of mind and happiness.
I had to write this in the middle instead of at the end, or it would never stay with this copy of their history. On February 23, 1956, I spent the day with Mother and Father and the following is the information they gave me on that day.
Dad has filled three stake missions and Mother, two. Dad was first appointed for a mission January 23, 1927, and released February 27, 1927. Mother and Dad were both appointed and released together for the next two years. Appointed October 22, 1950, and released October 28, 1952. Appointed November 30, 1952, and released April 25, 1954. They were released by request when he took over his present job and found he wasn’t able to test dairy herds at night and still find time to do missionary work as they felt it should be done.
March 24, 1940, Bishop Hyde was released and Dad worked with Bishop Clyde Crandall in the same position. Bro. Lars Thompson had replace Bro. Loosli under Bishop Hyde and he continued working with Bishop Crandall for nearly a year, when Bishop Crandall was replaced by Bishop Wayne Tanner.
Working through the Dairy Herd Improvement Association, Dad bought a herd of bulls early in 1943. With Ivan’s help, he traveled these for the association until Ivan joined the Navy. Dad disposed of this herd late in 1944.
Ivan rented the farm the summer of 1944. The boys had been gone for several years before Dad had bought the forty acres of ground to the north of him, and it became evident to all of us that Mother and Dad needed help, maybe the help they received was dubious, but it was sincere.
Carleon farmed with Dad during the summer of 1947-48. He had rented the Forgeon place across the road from the folks. In the summer of 1949, Dad and K. C. ran the home place, the Forgeon place, and the Whitley place. In January 1950, the folks sold the farm to K. C. and bought acreage from Boyd Reynolds. This place is one and one half miles south of Rupert on A Street, or what is now known as base road. They moved here in February 1950. That summer, Dad farmed the acreage and built an addition on the house. In January 1950, they took Donald Ferkins into their home and kept him with them until after school was out. In March 1951, Dad went to work for the Mountain States Implement Company and worked for them until August 1951, when he accepted his present job as tester for the Dairy Herd Improvement Association until August 1965.
In September1953, they bought Glen and Lila’s home at 202 2nd Street in Rupert. Selling the Reynolds place October 7, 1953, they moved into the new home on Dad’s birthday.
July 10, 1954 the Tolman Family Reunion was held in Rupert. The last week of the same month they took a trip to Hermiston, Oregon, to see Glen, Lila and family; on to Othello, Washington, to see K. C., EdithRae, and family. From there they went to Portland, Oregon, to see Uncle Judson and his family.
Dad was appointed chairman of the Genealogical Board when released from the Bishopric. He held this position until 1944. He has been a ward teacher from the time he was ordained a teacher at fifteen. He has been the Gospel Doctrine teacher in Sunday School since January 1954, except from late 1962 until late 1967. He has been teaching since 1967. He was Secretary of the Senior Aaronic Priesthood for about one year. He taught the adult class in MIA for a while.
He and Mother have received much joy and satisfaction from their two missions. Dad baptized two, and they were instrumental on converting several more. They attend the temple regularly and have kept a complete record of the work they have done for the dead. Dad was sustained as veil worker in March or April of 1954. He has been called to make extra trips with the priesthood group. Last year he did thirty-seven names, and this year he is scheduled to make eleven trips, they average two names to the trip. They do most of their temple work at the Idaho Falls Temple. So far, he has done a total of 1520 names.
In June of 1965, we all went up to Camp Manapoo and spent three days to celebrate Mom and Dad’s Golden Wedding Anniversary. On September 8, 1965, they went to St. George, Utah. They rented a temple cottage and worked in the temple that winter. Leaving the middle of March, they went to San Bernadino to visit with Ray and Judy two nights. While there, they went on to Sacramento to visit with K. C. and Edith Rae. They went to Oakland to the temple with Cleone and Ben to be married. From there they went to Portland to be with Uncle Judson. He wasn’t home that day, so they went on to Olympia to visit Glen and Lila. They stayed over two nights and then went back to Portland. They stayed over Sunday with Uncle Judson. They came home and found a cold house so they went back to St. George and got their things. Then they came home on April 8.
In about a week, Dad went to work for Feerless Ferris Gas Stations and he worked for them until December 1, 1967.
Since then, Mom and Dad have been busy with their church work and their garden. Early in May, 1968, Dad was busy wrapping some plastic around his peach tree to keep out the frost, when the 10 foot ladder he was standing on broke, and as he puts it, “so did I.” He broke four ribs.
This completes his history as of April 2, 1969.
Sedgwick Research’s Thomas Tolman Family History Site
Sedgwick Research Home
March 2017 I Wayne Tolman (Grandson) did some minor editing and formatting preparing to post to Family Search, I was a participant in this story since 1946. Thelma is my Aunt.
Carleon Wayne Tolman
Visit FamilySearch to learn more about Frederick Tolman. Visit the Thomas Tolman Family Organization to find out how you can get more involved in family history.