Robert Neal Harter, age 86, of Northfield died Thursday morning, February 25, 2010 at Northfield Care Center. 

        Pastor Robert “Bob” Harter, son of Hedwig and Neclessen Harter, was born in Greenfield, Indiana  on September 13, 1923.  Robert traveled by motorcycle sidecar to his boyhood home in Hicksville, L.I., N.Y. at the age of 9 months.  An honor student and boy scout in high school, singing in the choir and worshiping at St. Stephens Lutheran Church set the stage for what would be the foundation for his life: music and his faith.  Joining the Army after High School he served during WW II in the Medical Corps including hospital ship travel to Australia.  During a tour near San Francisco working with blinded soldiers he met Joyce, a Coast Guard Spar in a Methodist young people’s group.     After a Wedding in Council Bluffs,  IA in March 1946, Bob and Joyce attended St. Olaf College on the GI Bill where they lived in a trailer park below Old Main Hill. A Summa Cum Laude student, recognizing his call to the Ministry led him to finish his senior year at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio where he graduated in 1950,  attended Hamma Divinity School and was ordained as a Lutheran Minister in 1953. His first ministry call to Tipton, IA  was followed by founding Hope Lutheran Church, a mission congregation in Cedar Rapids , IA in 1955.  His next call was to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Somerville, NJ in 1958 following his father’s death to be near his Mother and family.  During 13 years of shepherding in Somerville he also studied at Princeton Seminary and received his Master’s Degree.  After moving to Pleasantville N.J. in 1971 to serve Epiphany Lutheran Church, he returned to Minnesota in 1977 serving a two church parish in Kensington and Lowry.  Fulfilling a dream to retire in Northfield viewing St. Olaf up on the Hill, in 1982 Bob and Joyce built their first home on Loomis Court from where Bob did Interim Ministry for several churches in Southern Minnesota while also serving as the first Chaplain of Northfield Retirement Center.  Although formal retirement began in 1989, Pastor Bob was never far from a pulpit, a pun or praise for the Lord or adding an emphatic “Amen” to Bethel Lutheran Church services where he and Joyce have been members since 1983.  Moving to Northfield Retirement Center in 2004 was a wonderful opportunity to share life’s next journey.

        Pastor Bob's  life theme to “Serve God and Help People” came through in all he did and wanted to do as did his love for the “Joy” of his life and wife of 64 years.

        Singing a glorious tenor in every Senior Choir and congregation he served as well as local singing groups like the Northfield Troubadours, Bob was known for making a joyful noise everywhere!   Bob will always be remembered for his rhetorical rhymes, plentiful puns, singing Hallelujahs forever and emphatic Amens!!   His sermons were always filled with poetry, song and a celebration of his Faith and God’s love for others.

        Survivors include his wife Joyce; his son Brian and daughter-in-law Sandy of Hopkins ; his daughter Mavis and son-in-law Peter Lucchin of Mays Landing, New Jersey, 3 grandchildren  Kristina (Matt) Schwartz of New Brighton; Andrea (Michael) McCormick and grandson Tony Lucchin; 2 great-grandchildren: Timothy and Ashlee all of Mays Landing, New Jersey;  two sisters Juanita Hart and Irma Harter of Wethersfield, Connecticut and Harold (Gloria) Harter of Newport News, Virginia; nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.  He was preceded in death by his  Grandson, Nicholas Morgan Harter and his parents.

        From the closing to “A Song Bird Yet to Cry”, a tribute poem to Bob written by his Grandson Nic:

My Grandpa

    A Poet

        A Pastor

            A comedian,

                A lover

                    An old man growing always young

                        A voice never done

                            A song bird whose song will one day be done,

                                Leaving a legacy left to be sung

                                                                                                                                                N.M Harter

                                                                                                                                                September 23, 2003

Funeral services will be 11AM Monday, March 1, 2010, at Bethel Lutheran Church in Northfield with Rev. Tim McDermott & Rev. Charlie Ruud officiating.  Interment will be in Oaklawn Cemetery. Visitation will be 2 -4PM Sunday, February 28, 2010, at the Benson & Langehough Funeral Home. Visitation will continue at the church on Monday one hour prior to the funeral.

Memorials are preferred to the Nicholas M. Harter Scholarship Fund at St. Olaf College or the Bethel Lutheran Church Building Fund.

Arrangements are with the Benson & Langehough Funeral Home.