Nancy Afton Tolmans was born at Chesterfield, Idaho, 19 August, 1898. She is the daughter of Cyrus Tolman and Eliza Ann Riley. She was born in a log cabin with a dirt roof. She remembers, while a very small child that when it rained their home would leak and her mother would set pans around to catch the rain water. At the age of 4 the family moved about 1 mile from her birthplace in a log cabin with a shingled roof. After living in this home for about a year they moved into a 1-roomed house across the road. Her father added a shanty and fixed up the attic so they could sleep up there, he then built a frame 6-room home with 2 clothes closets and a pantry. Every member of the family were thrilled over the new home and their father had built it so it was warm. The walls were about 12" thick, with concrete and rock. All the work being done by their father except plastering the walls. Nancy lived in this home until she was married.
One day, at the age of 12, she was asked by her parents to come home from school to do the ironing. She was unable to get the stove irons hot enough so she decided to pour kerosene into the stove as she had seen her parents do on different occasions. This she did on the hot coals and it exploded into her face filling her eyes with soot and ashes and burning her hair. Then, she ran to her older sister Elnora, who put out the flames. Nancy's eyes felt like balls of fire. She had to lay with oil packs on them for a couple of days. When her father came home at night he would administer to her so that her sight would not be harmed. This was always their physician. As children they were taught to call in the Elders of the church and be administered to. In this ordinance Nancy is a firm believer. She just attended grade school.
At the age of 14 she was assistant Secretary of the Sunday School. Also, at 14 years of age she met her husband and they went together for 3 years. On 28 September 1915, she was married to Josiah Howe Loveland, Jr. He was a sheep man at this time with his father, and Uncle Carlos promised her father they would go to the Temple later. The days and years went by and their family started coming. Each time Grandfather Loveland would visit them he would talk to them about going to the Temple. In 1919 Grandfather Heber passed away and they attended his funeral. On the way home Howe said, "Well, I'm going to get busy and go to the Temple before Grandmother dies". So Howe quit smoking and in a year from then, on October 7, 1920, they went to the Salt Lake Temple with their little family of 3- 1 girl, Afton, and 2 boys, Orlin Chauncy and Wallace Howe. What a glorious day this was for them. Her mother, Eliza Ann Riley Tolman went with them, also Aunt Jane Riley. She said their children reminded her of little angles around the alter in the temple and since that day Howe has been active in the church.
Nancy loved to work with the children, she served as Primary President 3 different times, and has held as high as 5 positions in the ward at one time- such as Primary President, Sunday School teacher, Junior teacher in the Mutual, Relief Society visiting teacher and also taught in Primary.
Her husband has been president of the YMMIA, also Sunday School Supt. Then Counselor to the Bishop for 8 years. They had 2 boys in World War II. At this time they have 3 married sons living in Las Vegas, Nevada. Their son Orlin has a grocery store and has acted as president of the Chamber of Commerce and is now Vice Pres. They have buried 2 children out of 14 and 2 grandchildren. The rest are living in Idaho. They have 22 grandchildren.