Tolly has often been called one of Rice Lake’s all-time top sports boosters. He was one of the primary founders of the Boys Church Softball League of Rice Lake in 1958, and served as the first president for 17 years. Following that, he served the organization as a board member. Rice Lake’s youth and adult softball programs are due largely in part to Tolly. The Youth Softball League provided summer recreation for over a thousand ball players since its inception. It was because of his involvement with, and support of the summer program that one of the two new fields at Tate Park was named in his honor on June 10, 1983. Tolly was born in and graduated from high school in Clarkfield, MN in 1925. In 1926 he moved to Rice Lake with his family when his father became pastor at Emmanuel Lutheran Church. He then served as Rice Lake’s deputy clerk-treasurer for 45 years under 8 mayors and 4 city clerks before retiring in 1973. During the 1930’s he helped organize and played on an adult hockey team in Rice Lake that competed with teams from the surrounding area. He was also an accomplished boxer in his youth, and enjoyed swimming, canoeing, skiing, and riding his Harley Davidson in the 1930’s and 40’s. He was very active in the church, promoting church dart ball. Another of his favorite pastimes was walking; evidence was that he walked 8 blocks to and from work, including his lunch hour, every day for 45 years. He rarely missed a home football or basketball game. He was a sports historian who could be relied upon for accurate information regarding local athletes. In October of 1979 Tolly was instrumental in organizing and promoting the dedication of Pug Lund Field in Rice Lake. Tolly died on 12-17-94, one day before his 87 th birthday.