Jane Tolmach

Jane Tolmach was born on November 12th, 1921 in Havre Montana. When she was two she moved with her family to Ventura California. In 1948 was when she moved to Oxnard, CA and that sparked over sixty years of service and political activism. From the beginning she had two strikes against her: She was a woman in the predominantly male field of politics and a Democrat in a Republican-dominated county. Yet that never stopped this strong-willed woman in her evolution from 1950s housewife to political activist to the first woman elected to the Oxnard City Council in 1973. She organized rallies and fundraisers as she began to feel inspired to become more involved in politics and consider holding positions herself. She served as a delegate to Democratic National Conventions from 1960-1995, supporting politicians like Adlai Stevenson and John F. Kennedy.  More than that, she was a proactively involved citizen who contributed her positive ideas, energy and firm opinions on a host of important local issues. Jane continued to support various causes until her death in August 2015. Her efforts have remained alive in areas, county, state, and national level included. Mrs. Tolmach showed how much a citizen can accomplish in cooperation with others. We are thankful for her example and her many contributions to the community.