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By John BuntsmaAssociate EditorLast July 3, the Rotary Club of Le Mars dedicated what is now the Dr. L. C. O'Toole Memorial Park. The park is located near the north end of Central Avenue.Dr. Lawrence Cornelius O'Toole. The more you talk with people — friends, family, and long-time associates — the more you marvel at this gentleman.He was a long-time member of the Le Mars Community School Board and the Gehlen Catholic High School Board‘(serving at one time simultaneously on both boards). He was a 58-year member of the Le Mars Rotary Club, and was president of that organization in 1938. He was also a Paul Harris Fellow.L.C. O'Toole was one week past his 89th birthday when he died, Aug. 19, 1992. His birthday was Aug. 12.Dr. O'Toole was married to the former Magdaline Hoffman, a Le Mars native. Her friends called her Tod. Dr. O'Toole was from Eagle Grove, Iowa, and he and Magdaline met at the University of Iowa on a blind date. The couple married and had five children: Mary, Larry, Ann, Tim, and Dan.Mary, who resides in Le Mars, said, He was a very caring man. We learned to live with disappointment, she added, because (in our family) dad's patients were always important.Dr. O'Toole, in his medical practice, delivered over 5,000 babies in Le Mars. That would amount to nearly have the population of the community today. So, if we were going to Eagle Grove to visit Grandpa and Grandma O'Toole for the weekend, Dad might call twenty minutes prior to when we were to depart and say we couldn't go because Mrs. So-and-So was expecting a baby any minute.The O'Toole children accepted the fact that their Dad's patientswas always a canng person, and he had a great sense of humor, too.Consequently, there were no conflicts of interest where he was con-cemed. He is the only Le Mars resident to ever serve on both the Boards of Education of both the public and Catholic school systems. He was always encouraged to run for the public school board, and he was welcomed with open arms at the Catholic school.And despite his years and the aging process, Dr. O'Toole remained active in many areas of the community. He was as sharp as a tack, one friend said of him. He never missed a thing.When he was younger, he enjoyed golf immensely. But as his practice grew, he saw less and less of the links. It was soon evident that he. dedicated his life to his medical profession, people and his family. He and his wife enjoyed playing bridge. They belonged to several bridge clubs in Le Mars. And finally, Dr. O'Toole loved to read. His favorite materials were medical journals. They'd be stacked up at his house and in his office. He always wanted to be abreast with the latest in medical technology.In his profession, Dr. O'Toole was a living Dr. Welby, M.D. He had a tremendously comforting bedside manner — the ability to put patients at ease. Even today, Mary said, ladies will come up to me and say, 'Oh, you're Dr. O'Toole's daughter. He was a wonderful doctor. When he retired, I said to my husband, our family ends here. Recounting this and other comments, Mary smiled.Dr. O'Toole loved what he was doing, and because this was so he lived a happy life. There was nothing more he'd rather do than be a doctor in Le Mars. People would tell him he could easily move to a big city and make millions of dollars, Mary recounted, He didn't want that. Nor was he interested in material things.Our dad simply didn't careeveryone who came to our home I was a friend. It didn't matter then I or ever what one of our childhood I friends parents did or what their I occupation was. It wasn't impor- I tant. Only people were impor- Itant. IHe found his nitch here in Le I Mars. IHe was really a wonderful fa- I ther, Mary said. When I think 1 how busy he was. Yet, he still had I time for all of us. He'd play ball I with the boys. In fact, Mary rec- I ollected, the three eldest O'Toole I children would accompany their I father on house-calls. After sup- I per, he'd go out into the country I and make his country calls. He'd I take us along. We throught it was I wonderful. Mary said those were I happy moments. All the farmers I had children around our age. So, I we looked forward to going along. I We'd see the animals and play I with the other kids. IIn the early years, the 1930s, dur- I ing the Great Depression, the ma- I jority of people simply did not I have money. The nation was I broke. So were the farmers. IIThey'd pay us with meat, poul- I try, corn, vegetables, Mary said. I The O'Tooles, in 1932, at one point I during the height of the Depres- I sion, had $10 to our name. That I was it. IEducation was very important to I Dr. O'Toole. His first three children I graduated from the Le Mars pub- I lie school, while the last two I graduated from Gehlen Catholic in I the 1960s. That's when Dr. O'Toole I served on both school boards. In- I deed, the community of Le Mars I supported Dr. O'Toole in this dual I endeavor. I remember Father I La Valle of St. James Parish saying I to my dad: We need a school I board member from St. James, and I you're it. You've been on a school I board long enough, so you'll know I what to do. ISo many memories . IWe miss him very much, Mary I said. Mrs. O'Toole had commented I after her husband passed away: I
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