Marjorie "Midge" Harter

Marjorie J. “Midge” Harter, 87, died peacefully Monday, November 20, 2023 at Orchard Park Assisted Living under the care of Avita Hospice.

Midge was born November 23, 1935 in Millersburg to the late Manning F. and Mary F. (Walker) Hunter. She grew up upstairs in the funeral home her father operated serving Holmes County. Midge was always a socialite and graduated in 1953 from Millersburg High School where she was a majorette, senior class secretary, and homecoming queen. She studied nursing at The Ohio State University. Midge was part of the “Block O” on football Saturdays and remained a lifelong Buckeye fan. While at OSU, she met an engineering student named Stephen W. Clawson and they were married in 1958. They moved to Kettering where Midge worked for Miami Valley Hospital in the maternity ward and they started their family. When Stephen passed away in 1967, Midge returned to Millersburg with her sons and returned to college to study education and taught special needs students. A mutual friend introduced her to fellow teacher, Charles “Chuck” Harter of Bucyrus. They were married October 9, 1974 and Midge moved to Bucyrus where she taught for Fairway School. Chuck preceded her in death on January 13, 1996.

Midge will be remembered for her zest for life and compassion for others. Her careers in both nursing and teaching were forged by her compassion and advocacy for the underdog. While Chuck certainly enjoyed “roughing it” more than Midge, she loved the relationships and socialization that came with camping.  Since retirement, Midge lived life to the full. She loved trips to the beach and had the opportunity to travel to several international destinations including Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. She was an active gift shop volunteer at Bucyrus Community Hospital, delivered Meals on Wheels, gathered for Red Hat meetings, went antiquing, loved gardening, played cards with her Bridge Club, and served meals with her church. She was a member of the Bucyrus United Methodist Church. At home, the TV was always on, but seldom watched, and she was an avid reader. Her pride came through her family’s accomplishments, and she will be remembered for teaching persistence, being there for her friends, and being a very fun lady.

Midge is survived by her children, Stephen D. Clawson, David H. Clawson, James M. Clawson, Barbara (Joseph) Miller, and Connie Summeier; grandchildren, Cassy Clawson, Nick Clawson, Cassie Wade (Mike Noechel), Justin Grey, and Sam Richardson; and sister, Barbara Hall. In addition to her parents and both husbands, Midge was preceded in death by brother-in-law, Gary Hall.

Services will be held on Monday, November 27 at Wise Funeral Service in Bucyrus. Family will receive friends from 1-2:55 pm and the funeral will begin at 3:00 pm with Pastor Becky Stephens officiating. Midge will later be laid to rest privately in Oakwood Cemetery.

Donations are encouraged to be made payable to The Community Foundation for Crawford County and given through the funeral home. Memories and photos can be shared on the guestbook.