Thomas F Tolman

Tom was born September 4, 1925, in St. Cloud to Thomas W Tolman and Judith Schmitt Tolman. Tom was the oldest of 3 children. He has a sister Ruth (Tolman) Helland and a brother Charles "Joe" Tolman. Tom attended St. Cloud Tech High School where he was on the varsity football team for four undefeated years. Upon graduation Tom immediately joined the Navy to help the United States during the World War II. Tom was assigned to the USS Herbert Thomas a "tin can" destroyer, as a torpedo man. His ship spent time patrolling the coast of occupied Japan.

After the service, Tom attended Augustana and St. Cloud State University where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science degree and met his future wife, Elaine. Tom and Elaine were married in Sioux Falls in 1949. Tom's first teaching job was in Pine City Minnesota, where their first three children joined the family.

In 1953, Tom accepted a teaching position in Bemidji where he taught junior high history for eleven years. They purchased a little yellow house near the Old Lincoln Elementary School in Nymore where their 4th child joined the family.  During the summer Tom worked for The Coca Cola Company driving the "pop" truck. He delivered to area resorts and the kids tagged along on one of those trips each summer. An opportunity arose to join the water patrol for the Beltrami County Sheriff's department and Tom found himself involved in law enforcement.

In 1957 the Tom purchased a farm on a handshake and contract for deed and moved to the family to Frohn Township east of Bemidji. In 1964 child #5 joined the family. Tom and Elaine loved their farm and the old growth pines that still grace the property.

An opportunity to become a full-time deputy arose in 1963, and Tom accepted the position and worked alongside John Cahill in serving Beltrami County.

In 1966 Tom was elected sheriff of Beltrami County after the sheriff John Cahill was unable to continue the position due to failing health. The family temporarily left the farm and moved to the jail where the Sheriff's living quarters were located. By default, Elaine became the jail matron and chief cook.

In 1974 the family returned to the farm in Frohn Township when the jail was remodeled, and the sheriff's quarters were eliminated. It was at this time that the Beltrami Sheriff and the Bemidji Police departments created the Law Enforcement Center to better serve the public with shared records and dispatchers.

Tom served as Sheriff from January 1967 until he retired in January 1982. During his time as sheriff, he attended the 87th Class at FBI National Academy in 1971 a 12-week intensive course in criminology. He collaborated on creating POST (Police Officers Standards and Training) for new law enforcement personnel in Minnesota, he was active with the Minnesota State Sheriff's Assoc., a member of the Sheriff's Civil Process Manual Committee, and he was director of the Northwest Minnesota Law Enforcement Task Force, which brought into existence the NW Minnesota Juvenile Training Center. He lobbied hard to create a training program for law enforcement officers which led to the two-year programs offered at Minnesota State colleges now.

Tom was also a member of the American Legion, the VFW, and the Masonic Lodge 233 of Bemidji.

In 1982 Tom was elected to the Beltrami County Board of Commissions where he served one term. Tom was on several committees, including the Kitchagami Library Board. As an avid reader, and one to constantly seek new knowledge, it was important to him to keep our local library strong and vibrant.

Tom had a talent for names and families, and he was always interested in how people were related and what family branch you might belong to. He was able to find common ground with almost everyone.

In 1986 Tom retired officially and returned to the Frohn farm to raise cows, chickens, and bees, and to spend time on the land that he'd bought on a handshake.

Tom and Elaine decided that Minnesota winter were not all that much fun, and they began spending winters in Texas as Yankee snowbirds.

After Elaine passed in November 2013, Tom met his new life companion in Judy Dawson, who had lost her husband years earlier. Judy and Tom were inseparable and enjoyed winters in Texas and summers in Minnesota with trips to Escanaba Michigan and the U.P of Michigan to visit Judy's family.

In September of 2022 Tom became ill and after a brief stay in the hospital and the Havenwood Nursing home, with family at his side, he passed quietly in the early morning of October 25, 2022, at the age of 97 – not quite the 120 years he had often said he wanted to reach.

Tom was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Elaine; grandson, Geoffrey Andersen; parents, Thomas and Judith Tolman; nieces, Mary Helland and Judith Helland; and brothers-in-law, Jack Gausman and Phill Helland.

Tom is survived by his children, Thomas Tolman, Richard (Chris) Tolman, Jean Gearman-Tolman, Robert (Pat Bilek) Tolman and Donna (Rick) Andersen; 7 grandchildren; numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren; siblings, Ruth Helland and Charles (Charlene) Tolman; companion, Judith Dawson.

Visitation to be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, October 29th at Aardahl Lutheran Church, Bemidji MN with Memorial Service at 11:00 AM. Interment to follow at 1:30 PM at Frohn Eastside Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer that donation be made in Tom's honor to Hillsdale College, the Tunnels to Towers organization, or your local library.