Saturday, 24 Nov 1928: Elder Boley and myself have been reading to each other from a book by Elder Durrant. It is sure wonderful and I have began to think the world of Elder Boley. Some of the fellows have condemned him because he took that drink, but I believe he has the spirit of this work more than some condemning him. The Lord says, “Judge not lest ye be judged, condemn not lest ye be condemned.” I pray that we may all have the spirit of our work and do what is right.
1935: Opal and I were put in charge of regular dances for the youth. Dr. Call, who was on the high council thought if we got those youth to jitterbug they would go home so tired and sleep instead of neck. One night a boy brought liquor and tobacco into the dance hall. There was a gang of them. The ticket girl reported to me and I took the boy out, but got hit in the mouth. The police were called and it was discovered that the boy was on probation. I paid the bail and saved the boy from jail. I let him come back to the dances provided he didn’t bring liquor or tobacco. Later when the war broke out the boy was shot up. He left a message of appreciation for me.
22 Dec 1958: Les Lambson, who is now teaching at the Western University in San Diego, California, stayed overnight with us. To my great surprise or at least to my sorrow he is so steeped in the philosophies of man that he has turned to his old ways of thought. Nothing is real, God doesn’t exist, religion is imagination, etc. Like old times we stayed up and talked until 2:00 a.m. I said, “Les, why don’t you stay around for a week or so, so that I can straighten you out.” He said, “Well, Uncle Bill, if anyone could do it you could, but I must get home for Christmas.”
April 1959: “Brother Tolman has been an excellent, faith promoting teacher in our classes. Would be happy to take another class from him.” “Brother Tolman has been the most inspiring genealogical teacher I have ever listened to.” “Send Brother Tolman to teach an advanced class.” “Brother Tolman has inspired me with his faith, his kindness, his considerations for others, and all of his classes have caught the spirit of genealogy through his warm inspiration, faith and enthusiasm in his class; we all love him and his wife very much.” “We have appreciated Brother Tolman and would enjoy having him return to teach us. His wife has been a real help to us also.”
Sunday, 6 Nov 1960: From 5:00 to 8:30 p.m. we attended Shirlene’s missionary testimonial in the Assembly Hall as Shirlene finishes her week at the mission home. Shirlene’s testimony: “Many people have given that I might be here today. Faith is more powerful than any invention of man. I’m grateful to the elders and sisters. I can’t in words thank my family. I am grateful for a kind and noble father who has the power to bless as those of old. I am thankful for the example of a wonderful mother…”
11 Jul 1961: Two cards from Shirlene and Janice to father on his birthday:”Dear Father, We both love you very much and we wish you many years of happiness. You are a good and kind father and you have worked long and hard to provide for your family. You even manage to take care of your children when they are in need after they get married. Thank you for being such a wonderful father. Love, Janice and Jon
(From Opal Adams Tolman’s Journal in 1980) “Wednesday, September 24, Bill has had some disorientation and confusion. Later in the day he had a seizure and so he was placed in ICU. It was a very difficult day for all of us, Shirlene came at 4:00 and fed Bill a little supper and he seemed not fully conscious. John had come out to be with Bill and then went on to the home to check the furnace as we had been having some trouble. As I left the hospital, I said, “Goodnight, Sweetheart.” And Bill replied, “Goodnight, Sweetheart.” “September 25 A little after 4:30 a.m. we received a call from the hospital. The nurse in ICU said Bill was having difficulties and asked us to come. Shirlene and I dressed and left immediately. When we got to the hospital, Bill’s bed was empty and the nurse told us he had passed away. That dreaded day had come. My sweetheart was gone-this kind and good person who loved me unconditionally. How could I go on without him?”
(From Shirlene Tolman at his funeral): Father gave his life in service to his family, and I include all his relatives, to young people and to the great genealogical program of the Church. He wore out his life in well-doing. He was kind and considerate of others and a gentle man. He was loved by people all over the world and it was interesting to us as he traveled the Church in his assignment with the Genealogical Priesthood Committee that every time he came home he would tell us of a relative he had met, or a former student or business associate and he never missed a week in meeting someone he knew.
(From Loraine Tolman Pace at his funeral): My dear family and friends, I am sure that there has never been a time in my life when I have been more grateful for the knowledge that I am a child of God, that he has sent me here, has given me an earthly home, with parents kind and dear.
(From John Tolman at his funeral): I loved my father. He was the greatest man I have ever known. I have never met a man who had so much love for people. He was the hugginest and kissinest man I have ever known, and most of you out there know that. He walked with the high and the low, the mighty, the meek. He associated with the rich, the poor-always felt comfortable in any situation-always made you feel like the equal brother, the equal sister when you were with him. He loved everyone who came into his presence. And he loved his family the most, his sweetheart, his children, his grandchildren, his cousins, his associates in whatever profession he was engaged in, his seminary students. Never have I known a man that had greater love than he. My father called many men in capacity of bishop, men who were even inactive in the Church. He saw in them great potential that only he could see through the power of discernment and these men responded to his call and to his love and many of them came into activity. I have met people all over the Church, and as I have introduced myself they would say: “By the way, do you know William Tolman?” and with great pride I would say: “Yes, I know him very well. He’s my father.” “Oh, what a wonderful man. I have never met a more wonderful man than your father.” This coming from seminary students or from business associates or from cousins throughout the world or from those who have taken a class from him in genealogy or Book of Mormon or whatever.
(From Loretta Tolman Thuesen at his funeral): I love the memories of the way you treated my mother. I always thought your marriage was special and beautiful. You have always shown so much love and respect for your wife. I can never recall a time when you have spoken unkind to her. I used to sit outside your door at night, when I was little, and hear you and mom say your prayers and then kiss each other goodnight. I can’t express in words the warm feeling it gave to me. It is a special feeling to know that your parents love each other very much. I used to hear and read stories about the great love that President David O. Mckay had for his wife. I always have felt that your love for mom was just like that. One of the most valuable things you taught me was to accept everyone as my brother. I can remember the many people that you would bring into our home and how kind you were to everyone that you were around. I can’t remember ever talking unkindly about people in our home. You believed the words often spoken, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say It at all.” You told me that I didn’t have the right to tell someone a bad or unpleasant thing about another person, even if it was true. You said that person should have the right to form his own opinion of another person. It has been easy for me to accept others into my home because of your example.
(“My Father was a Gentle Giant,” by Michael Tolman): The love my father had for my mother and his family was always there no matter what was going on in his life. As long as I can remember there was love in our home. My father was always kissing and hugging my mother. If you know the Tolman Clan there is a lot of hugging and kissing going on.
(Contributed by the Thomas Tolman Family Organization. Excerpts from William Odell Tolman: Patriarch, Genealogist, Teacher compiled by Loraine Tolman Pace, First Edition, 2009, pages 27, 82, 203, 206, 260, 272, 514, 520, 521, 528, 531, 534-535, 547).
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