EAST HERKIMER-William J. Harter age 82 of Folts Road passed away on Tuesday morning March 23, 2010 in Little Falls Hospital. He had the comfort of his loving family at his side. He was born on April 5, 1927 in Herkimer, son of the late John W. and Anna Reddy Harter. A lifelong Herkimer resident, he was a graduate of Herkimer High School. Upon graduating, he served with the US Army and was a proud veteran of World War II. He was the recipient of the Army Occupation Medal, European-African-Middle East Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal and was honorably discharged on December 25, 1946. Upon returning home he joined his father, owning and operating the Harter & Son Dairy business and later went to work for Snyder Bicycle Company in Little Falls. For thirty years he worked as a Safety Inspector for state and federal agencies. They included the New York State Department of Transportation, OSHA and the New York State Department of Labor. He retired on October 1, 1987. On December 31, 1954 he was united in marriage with the former Betty VanDelinder in the Herkimer Reformed Church. They shared a loving and devoted union of fifty-two years until her passing on June 10, 2007. Mr. Harter was a member of the First Baptist Church of Herkimer and also a member of the East Herkimer Volunteer Fire Department. In his leisure time he enjoyed hunting and camping. To his many friends, Bill will always be remembered as a mild mannered gentleman. Any conversation with him was frank and to the point, but you could always feel his warmth and friendship whenever you were with him. He will be greatly missed. He is survived by three daughters and their husbands, Martha and Tim DuMont of Utica, Anna and Art Kozakowski of Herkimer, Deborah and Herb VanHouten of Dexter, nine grandchildren, Jason DuMont and his wife Alka of Chicago, IL, Michelle (DuMont) Rogers and her husband Jeff of IN, Jacqueline DuMont of Utica, David Kozakowski of NJ, Matt Kozakowski and his wife Aleks of CO, Allyson VanHouten of Albany, William and Andrew VanHouten of Dexter, one niece Joan Hagen of Herkimer and in-laws, Lois Wright of WA, Carol Stack of Rome, Jean Mesick of Herkimer, Martha Meszler of Mohawk and Lee VanDelinder of Seneca Falls. He was predeased by his sister Betty (Harter) Hagen and her husband Leonard. Funeral service will be on Friday at 11:00 am in Fenner Funeral Home Inc., 115 Court Street, Herkimer. The Reverend Patricia Lawrence, Pastor of the First Baptist Church Herkimer will officiate. Interment with military honors will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery. The family will be present in the funeral home to receive relatives and friends on Thursday (today) from 4:00 until 7:00 pm. Expressions of sympathy may be made with memorial donations to the American Heart Association or the East Herkimer Volunteer Fire Department. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.