Emma Frances Toman

Emma Frances Toman, 90, passed away Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at the Benefis Grandview of natural causes. A Vigil will be he held Friday, November 21, 2014 at 6 pm at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Great Falls. The funeral liturgy will be Saturday, November 22nd at 11 am at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Visitation will be prior to each service. Cremation will follow the funeral liturgy. Arrangements are entrusted to O’Connor Funeral Home. Emma was born April 17, 1924 in East Helena, MT to Frank and Emma (Smith) Novak and was the oldest of four children. The family moved to Yugoslavia, now present day Slovania, because of the depression in America and her father owned a farm in his home land. Emma went to school 4 years while living in Yugoslavia. When the family returned to East Helena, Frank was not able to find work at the smelter because they were only hiring younger men. So, at the age of 40, Frank and Emma Novak moved the family to Great Falls where Emma attended the Largent School and Paris Gibson Jr. High. In 1938, the family moved to Sun River where Frank purchased a tavern called the Novak’s Covered Wagon. Emma attended the Sun River School, and then graduated from Simms High School in 1943 with high honors. During WWII, teachers were in demand, so Emma took a teaching position at the Bowman school near Belt and taught in other rural schools; Fife, Ulm, Crowe School, Power and Vaughn. In 1965 Emma graduated from the College of Great Falls with a Master’s Degree in Education. She used her knowledge to teach for 28 ½ years. Emma married Wesley Toman on June 21, 1958 at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Fort Shaw. When Wesley passed away in 1982, she was left to care for the Toman Scale Business and their farm of 570 acres. This was a hardship for Emma but she took a bright outlook on her responsibility. She credits it to Wesley’s thoughts, for he instilled in Emma a good outlook of life when things were difficult to accomplish. After selling her farm at the age of 69, Emma became an avid historian. In 1977, Emma was instrumental in starting the Sun River Valley Historical Society and was very active in the organization by holding offices for many years. Emma was Secretary-Treasurer of the Sun River Valley Ditch Company, a member of St. Ann’s Church in Fort Shaw, the Cascade County Historical Society, and the C.M. Russell Museum. Emma lived a very interesting and fulfilling life. She is survived by sister Mary Bold of Big Sandy; brother Frank (Evelyn) Novak of Amarillo, TX; and seventeen nieces and nephews. Emma was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, one sister Bernice Shaner Conway, and one niece Marianne Bold. Memorials in lieu of flowers may be made to the Sun River Valley Historical Society or St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Fort Shaw.