Raymond Hunt Tolman Biography
Information by a relative
Raymond Hunt Tolman is a twin brother of LeRoy Tolman. Ray Tolman was a self-trained plumber from before there were regulations and tests to have such a skill. He worked on private homes to commercial
buildings like the Amalgamated Sugar Co. in Nyssa, Oregon. For a time he labored in Ontario, Oregon and obtained his plumbing supplies from Hawks Plumbing.
For the last years of his life he lived with his daughter, Connie Buhler, and trained and taught his son-in-law Brent Buhler of BZ Plumbing in Jerome, Idaho. He loved his work and was known and loved by many
whom knew him.
His wife is Florence Claire Davidson. They were married in the Salt Lake LDS Temple 24 Nov 1936. Of their posterity they had two sons and two daughters. Donald Marvin Tolman, Bonnie Clair Tolman
Rollins, Arthur Raymond Tolman (passed away in 1984) and Connie Tolman Buhler.
While in his youth both Raymond Hunt Tolman and his twin brother, LeRoy Hunt Tolman went to school together. It was a one-room school-house with just one teacher for all the grades. Well, the teacher
soon accused Raymond and LeRoy of cheating, and would not let either pass the fourth grade. So, when it was time to go to school they hid in their parents’ basement.
Times were tough during the Great Depression. One year Ray Tolman came into Salt Lake City with a farm truck load of frozen potatoes. There was another fellow with a load of frozen oranges. They
swapped loads and went their own way. While living in Ontario, Oregon the family found their lodging in a chicken coop, or what was more or less a lean-two. There was a dirt floor and they made the best of
what they had. Ray Tolman installed a water heater that his family could use. However, not soon afterwards the rent was raised and they had to move.
Raymond Hunt Tolman loved to hunt. And while he was employed at Ontario Oregon as one whom takes care of the public roads and greenery. One of his jobs was to clear off the ice and snow from
Huntington, Oregon to Ontario, Oregon.
There was a time in his life that a doctor told him to take it easy from plumbing. It is good to note that all water supply pipe and sewage pipe was metal. This was especially so for those four-inch black iron
drain pipe. The doctor told him to take it easy because his mussels were too strong and tearing from from his arm bones. He would love to show off bending, with just his hands a two foot length of ¾ inch
round galvanized steel pipe in two.
Raymond Hunt Tolman also installed the plumbing in the new LDS (present) LDS Ward Building in Vale, Oregon. At the time he was not active in church, but after a heart attack he was humbled and went to
church.
While living in Ontario, Oregon there was a known gal, a woman of vice by the name of Isabell. She begged and begged to come and replace her toilet which had broken to pieces. This Ray Tolman did;
however, weeks and couple of months had passed and Ray Tolman was never paid. So, in daylight he drove up to her house opened the door removed the toilet and took it back home. (No payment, no
service, no toilet available). This was when it was legal to take such an action.
For a couple of years Raymond Hunt Tolman and his older brother Orville Tolman and youngest brother, Dean Tolman went to meet LeRoy Tolman somewhere in the Los Angeles County of California. They
started up a plumbing business together. However, it was soon found out that LeRoy’s wife whom was their bookeeper was dishonest, which broke up the brothers and their family business.
As a wedding gift for his eldest daughter, Bonnie Tolman, and her husband, George Nolan Rollins, he built a home with a basement on 1120 Malheur Dr. in Ontario, Oregon. He built this home with his two
hands and passed the home to this new couple and let them take over the payments.
Raymond Hunt Tolman once did some plumbing of Idaho’s multi-millionnaire J.R. Simplot. And Raymond Hunt Tolman was good friends with Ross Butler founder of Ore-Ida (Heinz) here in Ontario, Oregon.
In the latter end of his life Raymond Hunt Tolman was a faithful member of the LDS church. While he was once considered a “black sheep” of the family he had a change of heart and served as an example of
his posterity, honesty in his words, love in his heart for his family, and to be honest in his work regardless of his boss or employer above him.
I have only witnessed one kiss given by his wife, Florence Clare Davidson to her husband after Raymond Tolman spent the night at George and Bonnie Rollins home (my parents). There is much I wish to ask of
him, yet there is little information I can find about my grandfather. –Daniel Nephi Rollins (6 Sept 2012 (Note: In the latter end of his life, Ray Tolman, had open-heart surgery by Russell Marion Nelson whom
is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and an internationally renowned cardiothoracic surgeon.
Visit FamilySearch to learn more about Raymond Hunt Tolman. Also visit the Thomas Tolman Family Organization to find out how you can get more involved in family history.