Willard L. "Bill" Holter

Longtime radio broadcaster Willard L. "Bill" Holter, 81, passed away peacefully at Lake View Care Center in Bigfork, Tuesday, due to complications of Parkinson's disease. Holter was well known in the radio industry across the state, having owned stations in Helena, Glasgow, Malta, Missoula, Livingston and Great Falls. He was also a respected leader in politics as Chairman of the State Republican Party and Montana delegate to national conventions in 1968 and 1972.

Bill was the 2002 Inductee into the Montana Broadcasters Hall of Fame. He was honored for improving the quality of radio and involving stations in their communities. His radio stations were named Station of the Year by the MBA seven times in his lifetime. His Hall of Fame plaque depicts Bill with microphone in hand, striding in step with Ronald Reagan during a live remote interview. This took place while Bill was the regional reporter and emcee of the Western Governors conference at West Yellowstone in 1967. Over his career, Bill also interviewed Presidents Nixon, Bush and Eisenhower.

Bill was a dynamic journalist, statesman, gentleman, World War II Veteran, private pilot, patriot, and most of all, a devoted father, husband and grandfather.

He is survived by his wife Nancy of Bigfork and Sun City, Ariz.; their children Lynn (Mike) Redpath of Great Falls, Jann (Craig) Lambert of Livingston, Ross (Janet) Holter of Kalispell, and Todd Holter of Los Angeles. Also six grandchildren Krista Pyron (Dave) of Missoula, Van Redpath of Missoula, Carl Berntsen and Casey Berntsen of Livingston, and Mack Holter and Dillon Holter of Kalispell. He is also survived by his brother Warren (Maggie) Holter of Cincinnati and Phoenix, nieces and nephews, numerous Holter and Rasmussen cousins across the country, and many friends around the world.

Throughout his professional life, Bill was active in the Montana Broadcasters Association Jaycees, Kiwanis, Rotary, The Elks, and was one of the only Montanans to serve on the National Board of Governors of American Red Cross. In 1988, he was awarded the Red Cross's prestigious Clara Barton Medal for meritorious volunteer leadership. He was an active Shriner for more than 25 years and served as Potentate of Algeria Temple in 1981-82.

Bill was born in Hibbing, Minn., on July 14, 1923 in the "Iron Range," to Clarence Holter and Anna Rasmussen Holter. second generation Norwegian and Danish immigrants, Clarence, an iron ore miner, was a WW I veteran who survived gunshot wounds by the Germans in the Argonne and was awarded a Purple Heart. Bill was always very proud of this and proud to be an American.

He had an active Minnesota childhood, playing hockey, swimming, fishing and playing the hardest tunes as lead bugler in the youth bugle corps, according to his younger brother Warren who was a talented drummer in the corps. Through his teens, Bill was drawn toward debate and theater and held many lead roles in school plays.

In 1948, he married a beautiful blonde Iron Range girl, Nancy Ann Stolpe, from Chisholm, who shared Bill's love of fun, travel, music and dancing. By 1950 Bill had graduated from Navy flight school, served as a Marine flight instructor and Corsair pilot in WW II, and worked as a broadcast reporter for CBS Bureau in Paris, France. He earned his B.A. degree from the University of Minnesota in the fledgling field called Broadcast Journalism, while also working at KSTP radio in St. Paul. He worked at WMFG in Hibbing, and advanced his career at KEYZ in Williston, ND where he also starred in Community Theater.

By the time Bill and Nancy had four children, they settled in Montana where Bill was one of the co-founders of a radio station in Glasgow and eventually owned several stations across the state which he supervised flying his private plane over thousands of Montana miles. Flying continued to be a beloved hobby especially in his twin-engine Beech Baron.

Throughout his career, Holter was a leader and proud to call himself a Self-Made Man. Confident, strong, a tremendous orator and patriot, he presented countless speeches devoted to national pride and free enterprise. For more than a decade he devoted Memorial Day to visiting his parents' gravesites, where he also wished to be laid to rest.

A dedicated community leader for 40 years, he served as Mayor and Chamber of Commerce president in Glasgow and fought to keep the Air Force Base open there in the 1960s.

In the 1970s Bill was drawn to the Flathead Lake cherry country. He bought an orchard near Yellow Bay with 700 trees, ran the harvest every summer with help from the family, and enjoyed doing most of the pruning and maintenance himself. Later they moved to a smaller orchard. Bill loved the grand vista of Montana and the dark earth of its valleys. He loved boating on Flathead, and cruising the Missouri from Fort Benton to Fort Peck Lake. He loved the contrasts of Montana, the new whiteness of winter, and the budding of the trees. He often said he was "a Montanan who happened to be born in Minnesota." Ever the promoter, he had found his niche in the radio business and its news and advertising excitement.

Bill suffered Parkinson's disease for over a decade. Since October 2000, he resided at Lake View Care Center where he loved and appreciated the staff and their caring ways. Bill kept good spirits through his later difficult years and had a connection with everyone.

To the end, he enjoyed his friends and family. Bill was especially fond and proud of his six grandchildren, who loved Grampa Bill with all their hearts.

There will be a service held to celebrate Bill's life at the Little Brown Church in Bigfork, April 9, at 1 p.m. He will be accorded military and Masonic honors at a graveside ceremony following. Burial will be there at Lone Pine Cemetery. The family suggests any memorials in Bill's honor be made to his favorite causes, the Shrine Club, American Red Cross, The Parkinson's Disease Support Center at 500 15th Ave. S., Great Falls, or to the Lake View Care Center residents foundation.

Arrangements are under the care of Bigfork Funeral Home/Buffalo Hill Funeral Home.