COLUMBUS
William J. Harter (“Bill”) went to be with the Lord on Sunday, July 7th, 2024, passing away at his home in Columbus. He was 87 years old. His wife of 65 years was by his side until the end.
Bill was born on October 10th, 1936 and was the only child of William G. and Helen H. Harter. Bill grew up in Kokomo, Indiana, graduating from Kokomo High School in 1954. Bill attended Purdue University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics in 1958. Later, Bill earned a MBA in Management and Administration from Indiana University in 1972.
Bill married Josephine H. Shortle (“Jody”) on March 14th, 1959 in her hometown of Tipton, Indiana. Bill had just recently moved to Columbus, having been hired by Cummins Engine Company in January of that year. Shortly after getting married, Bill was called up for active duty service in the US Army and was stationed in Alaska until 1961, attaining the rank of First Lieutenant.
Bill spent nearly 30 years at Cummins, working in purchasing, finance, and accounting. Taking early retirement from Cummins, Bill worked for the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana in Indianapolis for two years before embarking upon a teaching career. Bill was an Adjunct Instructor for many years at the Columbus campus of Ivy Tech Community College teaching accounting and business classes and served as Accounting Program Chair for 3 years. He also taught classes at Indiana Wesleyan University and Indiana University-Purdue University-Columbus.
Bill and Jody raised five children together: Marjorie (Brett) Pumphrey of Littleton, Colorado; Scott (Amy) Harter of Eugene, Oregon; Jim (Cathy) Harter of Bon Aqua, Tennessee; Doug (Brooke) Harter of McCordsville, Indiana; and Robert (Leah) Harter of Park City, Utah. With five children came the blessing of thirteen grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Bill was always interested in and learned as much as he could about the things that his children or his grandchildren were interested in and involved with. He was always one of their biggest supporters.
Besides family, Bill was passionate about his faith and serving others and his community. Bill was a longtime member of Grace Lutheran Church, serving as Chairman of the Congregation, Elder, Treasurer, Small Group Leader, and Sunday School Teacher. Likewise, Bill was active in and was a Small Group Leader in the Men’s Bible Study Fellowship group in Columbus.
Bill was also an active volunteer with and served as Chairman of the Southeast Indiana SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives Association) Chapter, President of the Golden K Kiwanis Club of Columbus, a member of the board of the Columbus Philharmonic, and as a member of the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of Columbus. Bill also served on the Purdue University President’s Council, the Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County Grants Committee, and the Citizens Review Committee for the United Way of Bartholomew County. Additionally, Bill volunteered for many years as a tour guide at the Columbus Area Visitors Center and as a reader for the Indiana Reading and Information Services at WFYI, Indianapolis.
In addition to giving of his time and talent to many community-based organizations, Bill, along with his wife Jody, became philanthropists and established several scholarships for the benefit of others. Among these are: the WG Harter Memorial Scholarship at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management, the WG Harter Memorial Scholarship through the Community Foundation of Howard County, the Bill and Jody Harter Scholarship and the Bill and Jody Harter Community Fund through the Heritage Fund: The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County, the Bill and Jody Harter Scholarship at Wheaton College, and the Bill and Jody Harter Scholarship through the Indiana University Varsity Club. Bill was a life member of the Purdue Alumni Association and the Indiana University Alumni Association.
Bill was well-read and had a wide, rich array of interests. Bill enjoyed playing tennis and was a longtime member at Tipton Lakes Racquet Club. Bill was also known for his sense of humor and he loved puns.
Bill is now with his Savior, Jesus, whom he loved and endeavored to faithfully follow throughout his life on earth.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Grace Lutheran Church Foundation Inc. of Columbus, which can be sent to:
Grace Lutheran Church, 3201 Central Avenue, Columbus, IN 47203 or to the Parkinson’s Foundation, which can be accessed here: https://www.parkinson.org/.
The funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at Grace Lutheran Church; Reverend Thomas Going will officiate. Family and friends may gather for a time of visitation from 4-7 p.m. Monday at Barkes, Weaver &Glick Funeral Home on Washington Street and from 9:30 a.m. until service time Tuesday at the church. The committal service will be at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis with full military honors by the Indiana Army Reserve National Guard Honor Guard and the Indy Metropolitan Military Honor Guard.
Condolences and special memories may be sent to the Harter family and a video tribute can be seen at barkesweaverglick.com.
