Harry Halterman

Harry Wells Halterman was born June 30, 1924, in Grove, Oklahoma. He was the only child of Dr. I.L. and Lora Tallman Halterman. As a child, Harry was known as a precocious youngster, widely recognized for antics such as out-house tipping, unearthing tree saplings from neighbors' yard and driving his friends between Grove and Southwest City, Missouri at the early age of eight. Harry was educated in Southwest City during his mother‘s teaching tenure there, and in Grove public schools where he was elected president of Grove's senior class of 1942. He received a bachelor's degree in biology from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and a Doctorate of Dental Surgery from the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Dentistry in 1952. Shortly after graduation, Dr. Halterman opened his dental practice in Jay, Oklahoma, where he served patients from around the four-state area of Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas. He was the first dentist in Oklahoma to be board certified by the American Academy of Implant Dentistry and was a member of both the National and Oklahoma Dental Associations. He maintained his dental practice in Jay until his retirement in 1994 at age 70. On July 31, 1954, Dr. Halterman married the former Norma Ray at the First Methodist Church in Grove, Oklahoma. Harry was passionate about his avocations. An accomplished hunter and fisherman, he made numerous trips over the years from Central America to the Arctic Circle. He received instrument ratings in single and multi-engine aircraft and enjoyed many hours piloting his friends and family on trips around the country. His life-long enthusiasm for steam engines culminated in the construction of two scale-model steam locomotives capable of hauling four-to-six passengers per car, and the creation of the "Wasted Money Railroad Line". Harry enjoyed sharing his trains with passengers and enthusiasts during the Los Angeles Brotherhood of Live Steamers train meets at Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Harry was an avid collector of antique and classic automobiles, ranging from a 1921 Stanley Steamer, a 1938 V-16 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, a 1941 Buick Century and his pride and joy, a 1928 Model T convertible. He loved driving these automobiles as well as "tinkering" with them. Notwithstanding his hobbies, Dr. Halterman was also very civic minded. He was a 32nd degree Mason-Scottish Rite (Tulsa), and a member of First United Methodist Church in Grove. He was also a member of the Grove Municipal Services Authority, Delaware County Health Board, and the original Jay City Hospital Board. Harry was known for the uncompromising standards which he brought to an organization. During his tenure on the Grand River Dam Authority, the Tulsa World cited Harry's vigilance in his efforts to protect Grand Lake property owners' rights and ensure transparency and fiscal responsibility by the Authority. A local editor remarked, "He shares the common man's intolerance of even an appearance of impropriety." Harry was passionate about Grand Lake, having watched its creation in the 1940s and he worked tirelessly as the only GRDA member who lived on the lake to maintain high standards for other lake-area residents. Dr. Halterman was a founding member of the Grove Airport Board and often mowed the airport's landing strip at his own expense with his tractor. His commitment to education led him to serve on the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority and later the Grove School Board of Education. Along with the late Dr. N.A. Cotner and others, Harry was on the original Grove General Hospital Board where he worked to further enhance the medical community in and around Delaware County. Harry is survived by his wife Norma of the home, a daughter, Kay and husband Charles Mortimer and their children Laura and Wells of Jackson, Mississippi; son Dr. Mark and wife Dr. Clory Halterman and their children, Alex and Gabrielle of Tulsa, Oklahoma; daughter Lynne Duffield and her children Cole and Andrew of Joplin, Missouri. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Heart Association or the charity of the donor's choice.

Service Details

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 11:00am

Interment Details

Olympus Cemetery