Joseph Leroy Tolman
7 Feb 1902 – 2 Jul 1976
Son of Joseph Holbrook & Mary Ellen Cahoon Tolman
Joseph Leroy Tolman was born in Feb. 7,1902 at 6 p.m. in Chesterfield, Idaho to Joseph Holbrook Tolman and Mary Ellen Cahoon Tolman. He was born at home, a small wooden framed house, with a small built on room. His brother Leland and sister Lavanughn were also born in this small home. His older sister and brother. Delia May and Alvin Henry Tolman were born in Brigham City, Utah.
He was blessed by his father on 15th of Feb. 1902. Received his Patriarchal Blessing on Oct. 10,1902 by his grandfather Judson Tolman.
When he was 5 years old the family moved to Dempsey, Idaho, a few miles from Lava Hot Springs. His father built a house in Pocatello, Idaho on So. 5th for his first wife and family. In Dempsey his father had a saw mill. The house was a two story frame with a porch going all the way across the front of the house and down one side.. Here his sisters Leona and Idonna Isolene were born. Delia was born in 1893; Alvin in 1896; Joseph in 1902; Leland in 1904; Lavaughn 1906; Leona 1908; Isolene 1912. Leland and Alvin dying during their youth.
Was baptized by Elder Charles Bell,3 Sept. 1910 and confirmed by Elder Aden Campbell,4 Sept. 1910.
The family moved to Inkom, Idaho in Sept. 1912, where his father had built another saw mill and a large one room house. Spent most part of his boyhood days assisting his father with the sawmill work. While playing around the mill he had the misfortune at one time, breaking his leg. The boys slept down in the shop, as there was only the one large room to sleep the rest of the family. Later their father built an attic for the girls to sleep in.
Went to school at Inkom, Idaho through the 9th grade. Loved to play basketball and was on the school team. He was a very good player. After finishing the 9 th grade, was taken out of school to help his father to go to the canyons to get logs and then he would bear off the lumber as it was sawed. From the carriage he would pile it in near piles.
His father didn’t pay him and when he worked for someone else, his father would pick up his pay checks. He got discouraged, no recreation, or money to go anywhere or buy things. He ran away from home and joined the U.S. Marine Corp. at age 17 in Dec. 1919. He had made arrangements with a friend to meet the train as it passed through Inkom, and he tossed his civilian clothes to him from a window and to go and tell his mother what he had done. He felt bad for the worry and broken heart he caused his mother. He wrote her the very first chance he got to let her know he was at Mare Island, California. The wet, damp climate didn’t agree with him and he became very sick and was in the hospital for a long time. After 17 months he received an honorable medical discharge and was sent to the Veterans Hospital in Boise, Idaho, where he spent the next year and 7 days. He had developed T.B.
One of the activities on Base, was playing checkers on a huge checker board painted on the ground with Marines acting as the men, with a Captain for each team, which called out the moves.
Because of his health, he wouldn’t be able to have a job, that required a lot of physical labor, so the government paid for him to learn the watchmaking trade. He became a very good watch repairman, and was listed in the National Jewelers Magazine as # 2 in the whole state of Idaho. He could make a part for a watch or clock if a part was unavailable.
Went to work for Pentz Jewelry Store in Pocatello, Idaho, where he trained under Mr. Pentz. Here he rented an apartment on So. 2nd and his mother and sisters would come and stay with him from fall till spring, when they would return to their home in Inkom to plant the garden and take care of the berries.
He later moved into his farriers first wife’s home.(His mothers children called her Aunt Dellie and her children would call his mother Aunt Ella. Here Aunt Dellie introduced him to her neighbor, a beautiful, young lady, Leona Elinor Jenson. They used to walk to work together. Wasn’t long till he broke his engagement to another young lady and after courting Leona, he married her on March 5,1924 in the Logan Temple. A daughter, Odessa Eleanor was born Feb.29,1925 and two years later a son, Clifton Leroy, was born April 22,1927. Another child was born, a daughter who was born dead, many tears were shed by the parents and children.
His Priesthood ordinations were as follows—Deacon by E.T. Cutler Jr. on July 5,1914; a teacher by his father, Joseph Holbook Tolman on 9 June 1919; an Elder by his father 16 Aug,1923.
In l931 Pentz’s Jewelry Store went broke, leaving him without a job and $1300.00 in back wages, which he was never able to collect..Sold their furniture and moved to Rupert, Idaho, where he rented space in the coiner of an Electrical Store and set up his watch repair desk, etc. Sent $10.00 off to a watch material place to establish an account so he could get parts for the repair work. Rented a small apartment, and had $2.50 left to their name, plus Odessa was to start to school. Made arrangements to charge their groceries for the first month, which they paid off in full at the end of the month. After a year he rented a building to open up a Jewelry Store and watch repairs. Couldn’t afford the building and rent a place to live, so lived behind the store as other shop owners had to doing the depression. While here his wife suffered a lot of illness and had to have several surgeries. He also had to have surgery and spent 3 months in the Veterans Hospital in Boise ,Idaho. His wife would send the watches and the parts needed to fix them, to him at the hospital, where he would fix them and return them to her.
The family vacations were usually spent on weekend fishing trips out to Moore and Mackey Idaho. Grandparents Jensen lived first in Moore and then Mackey.
After 7 years in Rupert moved to Jerome ,Idaho, a little Bigger town, where he again opened up a Jewelry Store. For a little while rented a house, then a very small apartment as the depression grew tighter, and finally ended up living behind our store again, in order to make ends meet. He had been promised a job with an Airplane Factory to install instruments in the planes. Sold out the store in Jerome and moved to Alameda,Calif. Upon arriving they were on strike and with a family we couldn’t wait around for it to end, so went to Cave Junction, Ore. and stayed with Harvey Morris and family. (They had a Butcher shop in Rupert while we were there and the two families became very close friends). Set out to find a job and found one in Klamath Falls, Ore. working for Metz’s Jewelry store. His wife got a job at J. C. Pennies. Odessa met Wayne E. Smith that summer of 1941. War broke out for the United States on Dec.7,1941. Wayne and Odessa had fallen in love and were married in the Salt Lake Temple with both families and the couple who went with them pooling their gas ration stamps so they could go to the Temple. Were Married on April 28,1942. Wayne had to go into the Navy just 3 weeks after they were married. She saw him in San Francisco, California in July before Wayne was shipped overseas. Our first grandchild was born April 12,1943, a boy, Dennis Wayne Smith.
Our son Clifton joined the Marine corp.
After 3 years in Klamath Falls, moved back to Pocatello, Idaho as our parents weren’t well. Went to work for Molenilli’s Jewelry Store where he worked for 32 years. Our son, Clifton married Pearl Boren on Sept.31,1946 there in Pocatello.
In 1963 suffered a Massive heart attack, and was told I’d never be able to work again, but through prayer, faith, courage and pure determination, was finally able to go back to work a half day. Was in and out of the hospital 3 to 4 times a year with heart problems. In 1972 and cancer surgery and prostate surgery. Beat the odds again, through faith and prayer. Suffered for 13 years with the heart condition, finally ended up only working a few hours each day. (Joseph Leroy passed away July 2,1976)
Favorite sports were fishing and hunting and enjoyed watching sports. Was very good at cabinet making which seems to be a family trait through the male generations; grandfather Judson, his father, Joseph Holbook, himself, son Clifton and Grandson James.
Coached an M-Men basketball team while in Rupert. Has served as Athletic director, Finance clerk, member of the Sunday School Superintendency, Ward teacher. During his later years wasn’t able to attend meetings often, but had a strong testimony, great faith and believed in prayer.
He was buried in the Inkom cemetery, near his parents and other loved ones.
As the daughter (Odessa) of Joseph Leroy Tolman I would like to add a few personal thoughts concerning My father was a very caring person. He would have given the shirt off his back if someone needed it. All through my life specially as an adult, I could go to my father for counsel or just to have someone to confide in. He always listened and never passed judgement. His grandchildren adored him, he always had time for them. He was quite a tease. Taught many the art of fishing and his son Clifton the watch repairing and carpentry. Clifton for his main living worked for Garrett Trucking co. as a driver for them., doing some watch work on the side . He always taught us children to be honest in our work and to put in an honest day of work and to go the second mile. As of Aug. 1997 has 116 posterity, including step grandchildren, etc.
My fathers death was a tragic one. He loved the out of doors and some times he and mother would go for a ride in outer areas of Pocatello and Inkom, not going much higher in altitude, due to his heart condition. After the funeral and burial of his sister, Leona Tolman Cooper, he felt he wanted to be alone for a little while, so didn’t take mother with him, nor which direction he would be going. He went up Mink creek out of Pocatello and got up to where the altitude was higher than he realized and suffered a major heart attack. After suffering for about 30 hours, realizing he couldn’t go for help and help wasn’t coming to him, the pain got so severe he finally shot himself with a 22 revolver they carried in their car. Several times the police and others came within a mile of where he was. After being missing for 48 hours, he was finally found at the turnaround at the West Fork of Mink Creek. The County Corner said we shouldn’t consider it as a self inflected death, that after suffering so long and no help in sight he did the only thing he could to get out of his suffering.
Knowing the great love my father had for our mother and us children, he would never have done anything to hurt us, circumstances and the conditions at the time were just beyond his control at that point. They let my brother and I see my father, never in my 72 years have I seem such a terrible look of pain on someone’s face, either alive or dead. He had been dead for about 15 hours when he was found and they couldn’t remove that look of pain from his face. We all felt it best for mother to remember him as she last saw him, so a covering was put over his face so she could at least touch his hands. His viewing was a closed casket. The huge attendance at his funeral and remarks made by others, showed what a wonderful person he was (and still is) and how will he was liked and respected by others. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, friend. My Aunt Lavaughn and myself have had a peaceful feeling about my father, that all is will for him. Know he and mother are happy there together with all the rest of their loved ones.
Memories of Joseph Leroy Tolman by Lawrence R. Jensen, a brother in law.
One time when Joe was on an inspection trip for the Railroad ( Pentz’s Jewelry Store had a contract with the railroad to keep their clocks and workers watches right on time), he was traveling on a side car as they were called then. They met a train they were not expecting on a curve. Joe being on the uphill side jumped off the side car uphill, while the railroad worker jumped off the side car on the down hill side. Joe got a broken collar bone, while the railroad man got a broken leg. Needless to say the side car was demolished.
Joe used to like to come out to Lost River to fish and hunt. It always kind of got Joe when he took my father fishing with them. Father always had his limit in just a little while. Joe and his friends would have only caught a half dozen or so. The limit then was 25 fish. Joe sure enjoyed fishing and hunting.
On another occasion when Joe and Leona were living in Rupert, Idaho, Joe had just found out he had an enlarged heart and the Dr. had given him some glass capsules which he had to carry with him all the time. If he felt trouble coming he was to lay down and break one of these capsules in his hankie and inhale it. This would knock him out. I do not know how long this effect took to wear off. I do not think he ever had any occasion to use them, except as a joke on a friend. My mother used to put a tiny bit of eucalyptus oil on her hankie to inhale to clear her head when she had a cold. Your folks were living in a large room behind their Jewelry store. My mother had been using her eucalyptus oil and when Joe smelled it and found out what she was using it for, he (for a joke) broke one of his capsules in a clean hankie and had mother smell it. She only took a sniff, but it was enough so her face became flushed and felt dopy for awhile. Joe sure liked to play jokes on mother. She was a great one for teasing to.
I do not remember whether he and Leona were married yet or not, but he came to our place one Christmas dressed like Santa. Boy, what a thrill that was for me. Other boys would try to tell me there was no Santa, but I would not believe them, because I had seen him when he came to our house. I must have been around 11 or 12 when mother explained to me about Santa Claus. I would not believe anyone else.
I remember when Joe and Leona were living in the 500 block on So. 4th, They had bought them a house there in Pocatello and had gotten a little dog for Odessa. Leona gave the dog to us in a hurry when she found Odessa playing in a mess it had made. Fido was sure a wonderful little dog. He was so possessive of us and our place.
Joe really enjoyed the out of doors. He was at the height of his joy when he was hunting or fishing. He loved his guns and really took good care of them. His family was very important to him and he loved them each very much.
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