[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 165 (Thursday, November 17, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6464-S6465]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING JOAN TRIMBLE TOOLE

 Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the life of 
an exceptional Montanan and member of the Greatest Generation, Joan 
Trimble Toole. Joan passed away peacefully 1 year ago today at the age 
of 92 in Helena, MT. Her tireless dedication to public service set a 
tremendous example that we should all strive to achieve. Joan's 
footprint on policy and progress in Montana is remarkable; however, if 
she were here today, I suspect she would tell you that nothing made her 
prouder than being a grandma to 25 grandchildren and 17 great-
grandchildren. Joan always put her family first, but her commitment to 
improving Montana communities didn't lag far behind.
  I recently had an opportunity to read a letter that Joan sent to 
Eleanor Roosevelt in 1942. Joan was 19, and the United States was fully 
engaged in World War II. In one of her earliest attempts to serve her 
country, Joan desperately wanted to join the war effort. Unfortunately, 
she still had a year remaining to complete her college degree. Joan 
found herself in a bit of a bind and sought the advice of the First 
Lady. She wrote, ``. . . I would like very much to leave college at the 
mid years to volunteer for some sort of service that will take up all 
my time and preferably take me away from home. I do not care about 
uniforms and really would like to drive an ambulance on foreign duty so 
that I could feel I was actually in contact with the people who need 
help.'' Mrs. Roosevelt responded a few weeks later and stressed the 
need for Joan to stay in school and finish her degree. Undiscouraged 
and always resolute, Joan still managed to contribute to the war 
effort. She may not have driven ambulances abroad like she wanted, but 
she found a different way to serve by helping track German submarines 
as she concluded her studies.
  It is clear that Joan possessed an extraordinary penchant for service 
at an early age and a drive to go beyond contemporary norms to fight 
for her beliefs, her country, and her friends and neighbors. 
Fortunately for Montana, Joan moved to our great State in 1949. Joan 
would go on to spend the majority of the next 75 years living in 
Montana. She raised a family and fought to make Montana a better place 
as a political activist. She championed the causes that still to this 
day make Montana the best State to live in and raise a family. She 
cared deeply about all Montanans' right to a clean and healthy 
environment and to a quality public education. Perhaps, most notably, 
she cared deeply about the importance of expanding the role of women in 
politics in Montana and beyond.
  In 1954, along with friends Laura Nicholson and Harriett Meloy, Joan 
founded the Montana League of Women Voters, a group that proved to be 
instrumental in the formation of Montana's 1972 Constitutional 
Convention and to the passage of a new State constitution in June of 
1972. The 1972 Montana Constitution includes a provision that states, 
``All persons are born free and have certain inalienable rights. They 
include the right to a clean and healthful environment.'' Joan was so 
incredibly proud that Montana's Constitution guaranteed citizens the 
right to a clean and healthful environment. She brought it up all the 
time although she typically failed to mention the part where her 
activism played a critical role in securing the language.
  For the rest of her life, nothing could deter Joan's dedication to 
protecting Montana's landscape and education system. She served on the 
Board of Natural Resources and Conservation, lobbied for the Office of 
Public Instruction during legislative sessions, and

[[Page S6465]]

shared her expertise with numerous political campaigns and ballot 
initiatives. Joan volunteered for nonprofit environmental 
organizations, libraries, schools, the Democratic Party and the League 
of Women Voters. For decades, Joan was a fixture in Montana politics, 
fighting for progressive causes across the State. If there was an 
opportunity to advocate for change or improve her community, Joan 
always showed up.
  Throughout my 8 years in Montana Senate, it was not unusual to glance 
up to the senate gallery and see Joan sitting in the front row. She 
usually had a grandchild or two in tow, as she always went to great 
lengths to teach her grandchildren the importance of public service and 
significance of always showing up. She would beam as her grandchildren 
took in the scene and processed the importance of being involved. She 
knew that her last calling in life was to pass her experiences, 
stories, and wisdom onto the next generation.
  Even in her last few years, as it grew increasingly difficult for her 
to get around, I saw Joan at most of the events I held in Helena. She 
would give me a hug and thank me for my work before venturing off to 
find who she really came to see: my wife, Sharla.
  A year later, we still miss Joan every time we pass through Helena. 
Montana lost an incredible leader and an irreplaceable voice. As we 
move forward and aim to tackle the challenges facing our Nation, we 
must remember the lessons we learned from Joan. We must ask ourselves 
how we can step up and serve our country, like Joan did in her letter 
to Eleanor Roosevelt. We must take action to advocate for our beliefs, 
like Joan did when she founded the Montana chapter of the League of 
Women Voters. Finally, we must always show up, like Joan did until the 
last days of her life.

                          ____________________