Tollefson, Martin

CFP 29 May 1959

Martin Tollefson

This week’s businessman spotlight falls on the manager of the Cheney Telephone comapny, Martin Tollefson, who started life in 1908 in Robinson, North Dakota.

Tollefson lived in Robinson until he was 29 years old. He came west in 1936, and traveled 6,000 miles through the state of Washington before he “found” Cheney, locating here 20 August 1936.

Martin worked for Potlatch yards for six months, was a carpenter for six months, and then went to work for the Cheney Light & Power company in 1938. He left the light company in February 1943 to go into civil service work at Fairchild during the war.

When he was released from his “war frozen” job he returned to the light company for a year, then entered partnership with Ray Wargi and opened Wargi-Tollefson Electric in April 1945. The partners sold to the Edgett Brothers in 1949, and Tollefson went to Quincy to go into business.

Cheney’s charm drew him back, however, and he filled in on the light company crew for a short time before joining the Cheney Telephone company as a lineman. He worked as a maintenance man until January 1958, when owner C.P. Lund appointed him working manager of the company.