Virgil Harter

Virgil Harter, 77, Bismarck, died Wednesday, July 22, 2020 at Sanford Health, Bismarck. A private family service will take place with burial at Fairview Cemetery, Bismarck.

Virgil was born June 20, 1943 in Tappen, the son of Bernard and Harriet (Haadem) Harter.  He was raised and educated in Tappen, graduating from Tappen High School.  He then attended Valley City State College, where he majored in History and played baseball.  On July 3, 1967, he married Gladys Witikko in Linton. Virgil’s occupation as a carpenter landed them in many different places but in the early 1970’s, they made Bismarck their home. Virgil and his brothers learned their carpentry skills from his father.  He started Harter Construction, first doing framing jobs and later moved into building houses from the ground up, including their family house in the country, where he built a house, a barn so they could have horses and even a doghouse. He also built many condominiums and apartments buildings throughout his career, a little over 10 years ago he built his last house before retiring.

He was a member of Bismarck Mandan Home Builders Association and the Bismarck Horse Club. He enjoyed hunting, gardening, fishing and watching the Twins and Vikings.  Virgil relished the time with his family showing horses, going to horse shows and their yearly camping trip to the State Fair to show horses.  He also went for long walks collecting artifacts.

He  is survived by his wife, Gladys; children and grandchildren, Kari White, Sioux Falls, and her children, Tyler and Kristin, Steven (Janice), Fargo, and their children, Jessica and Shawn and Kimberly Harter, Bismarck, and her children, Ethan and Hailey; siblings, Shirley (Jackie) Demaray, Tappen, Harold (Marvey) Harter, Bismarck, Kenneth (Deb) Harter, Steele, Jean (James) Leuwer, Bismarck, Don (Sandy) Harter, Duluth and Clarence Harter, Napoleon; sister-in-law Geraldine Harter, Mandan, and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Troy; and brother, Robert Harter.