Ervin Kermit Holter was born in Clarksfield, Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota on November 7, 1916, to John and Julia E Johnson Holter. He resided in Palermo, Mountrail County, North Dakota. He entered the United States Army in AUS Mountrail County, North Dakota on January 16, 1941, and served European African Middle Eastern Theater. Second Lieutenant Holter was killed in action on February 25, 1945, in Germany and is buried in the family plot, Knife River Lutheran Church Cemetery, Stanley, Mountrail County, North Dakota.