Toavs, Nicolas F. (1883-1957)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1957 Mar 14 p. 8

Birth date: 1883 Nov 4

text of obituary:

NICOLAS F. TOAVS

Nicolas F. Toavs was born Nov. 4, 1883, in Cottonwood county, Minn., the son of Franz and Margretta Isaak Toavs. The family moved to Lake Park, Minn.

In 1909 he was married to Helen Wiens and there were two children, Theodore and Suzie. Mrs. Toavs passed away in 1914.

In 1917 Mr. Toavs and his two children moved to the Wolf Point area of Montana, where he homesteaded.

On Oct. 24, 1919, he was married to Katie Penner at Landon, N.D. and the couple had 11 children, all living.

Mr. Toavs was an active member of the Bethel Mennonite church at Wolf Point and was Sunday school superintendent for 23 years. He also was a member of the school board for his home community and was a successful wheat rancher. He farmed 1,120 acres.

As a memorial to Mr. Toavs, a fund is being set up for missionary work in Africa. He was much interested in foreign missions as well as local churches.

He was a quiet friendly man who lived a simple life by choice. He had made a financial success as a hardworking and shrewd farmer and was well respected in the Wolf Point community.

He died of a heart ailment at his home in Columbia Falls on Feb. 21, reaching the age of 73.

Surviving are Mrs. Toavs and 13 children. The eight sons are: Theodore T., Martin J., Reuben V., all of Wolf Point; Nicolas F., Beaumont, Tex.; Frank H., St. Ignatius; Wilmer J., Arlie E. and James N., all of Columbia Falls. The five daughters are Mrs. Herbert Krahn, Charlo; Mrs. Thomas Heidner, Wolf Point; Mrs. Donald Woolridge, Missoula, Mrs. Leland Wolf, Phoenix, Ariz., and Hannah at home. There are also 26 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Other survivors are three brothers, A. F. Toavs, Wolf Point, John Toavs, Casselton, N. Dak., and Jacob Toavs, Dale, Minn., and three sisters, Mrs. John Peters, St. Paul, Mrs. Sarah Regeir [sic Regier], Fargo, and Mrs. Elizabeth Padden, Underwood, Minn.

Funeral services were held Feb. 26 at the Johnson Funeral home in Columbia Falls. Officiating were Rev. M. O. Smith of the Columbia Falls Methodist Church and Rev. Clyde Dirks of Ritzville, Wash., former minister in Wolf Point and long-time friends of the family. Burial was made in the Conrad memorial cemetery.