He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank D. Toles and was born at the Toles homestead, April 13, 1894. He attended the district school near home till his twelfth year when he entered Gilbertsville High school and graduated with the class of 1912. In the fall of that year, he entered Cornell University and worked his way through the four year course in the agriculture college. He was a charter member of the Theta Alpha Fraternity of Cornell.

When the country entered the war, Don was anxious to enlist but worked on the farm until the crops were gathered and on October 18, 1917, he went to Oneonta and enlisted in the Army going to Fort Slocum, October 25th. On November 22, 1917, he was sent oversees, being one of the ten men selected to fill vacancies in the 16th regiment from Hoboken. Later Donald wrote that this regiment was one of the first in France and one of the first in the trenches. On December 11, 1917, he wrote from Morn Hill Camp, Winchester, England, and very soon he was in France, being on his way to the front in less than a month. Later he wrote that he had been in action more than half the time since arriving in France.

He is now buried in Suresnes American Cemetery, Suresnes, France. He also has a marker in Prentiss Cemetery, Otsego County, New York, USA and commemorated on the Butternuts Honor Roll memorial in a town park at Gilbertsville, New York.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, "The Otsego Farmer, 6 September 1918, Page 8"