Casper O. Holter

Casper O. "Cap" Holter, 97, passed away Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, in the comfort of the Lord, surrounded by family.

Services will be held Thursday, Nov. 17, at 2 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church in Glasgow. He has been laid to rest in the family cemetery on the farm. VFW Post 3107 provided military rites.

He was born April 3, 1919, to John and Karen Holter. His father and mother came from Norway and homesteaded in 1908.

He bought the land from his dad and continued to farm it himself until he began leasing the farm land, lending an active hand as he could, to whoever was putting the crop in and harvesting.

He attended country schools in the Cherry Creek area, walking several miles and riding in a buggy. He was disappointed that he didn't go through all the grades, but had to go to work after the eighth grade, like many depression era young men had to do.

As a young man, during the building of Ft. Peck Dam, he was hired and worked until someone discovered the young men were too young to be working there, so they were assigned to the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). They were sent to western Montana to work on roads and learn trades. This prepared them for enlistment in the military. He told stories of traveling with other CCC members from this area and it was always an adventure.

In 1940, he enlisted in the Army Montana National Guard 163rd infantry, serving as T-Sgt. Instructor in the New Guinea/Papuan Campaign in Motor Vehicle Maintenance earning a distinguished unit citation, the American Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal and the Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal.

In 1945 he returned to the states to Ft. Benning, Ga., where at a USO Club dance, standing in the line waiting to be paired up with dance partners, he traded places with a tall guy because he had spotted the tiniest little thing next in line and he wanted that one. He and Idell Wood from West Point, Ga., were married there June 17, 1945. They returned to Billings, where he worked for Archie Cochran Ford and son Jim was born.

His dad was getting older and needed help on the farm, so they moved back to Glasgow where he began a long career as an auto body repair man at Hanson-Merson Motors.

Three more children were born, Sylvia in 1949, Curtis in 1952 and Joyce in 1958. Growing up during the depression years formed much of his personality. Working hard was second nature, making do and being thankful for what you had was expected and enjoying yourself when the work was done was your reward.

He never forgot not having things to use or work with during those lean years, so he learned to take what he had and turn it into what was needed, either by fixing it or manufacturing it. This process came in handy when he was in New Guinea and Australia in the war. He made a welder and a washing machine, among many other innovations, which proved useful to the cause.

"The Farm" was where many enlisted men who were stationed at Glasgow Air Base could spend their time off. He would come home from working at the body shop and help fix a car to get them back to base on time. He let the guys heading overseas store their car till they returned. Even if they didn't come back to get it, he wouldn't get rid of it.

He tells that at a very young age, maybe six or so, he heard a woman, who was cooking for a threshing crew, play an accordion and she asked him if he wanted to try it. He played well enough that she told his mother, she better get that boy an accordion.

Throughout 90 years, he has been entertaining folks with his music.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Idell; sisters, Bertha Vukasin and Elsie Kessler; and a brother, Art Holter.

Survivors include his children, Jim, Sylvia, Curt and his wife, Becky; and Joyce and her husband, Dan; his youngest sister, Inga Shay; numerous nieces and nephews; grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren; and extended family and friends.