He moved with his parents to  Burpee township, Manitoulin Island, in about 1881. He appeared on the census of 1891, at at Gore Bay, District of Manitoulin.  He left home and moved to at Sault Ste. Marie,sometime after 1891.  He moved  to Treherne, Manitoba in about 1901.

He married Johanna Annetta Wiechmann , daughter of Diedrich Wiechmann and Gesina Bartels, on 8 Jun 1904 at Rathwell, South Norfolk, Manitoba.
 
They moved  to  Port Perry, Ontario on 9 Jun 1904 and in Apr 1905 he moved to  Kinistino, Saskatchewan and she followed a short time later,

He obtained a homestead on 3 Aug 1905 on the at fractional south half of Sec.24, Twp.46, Rge.22, W of 2nd Mer., Kinistino.

He died on 17 Sep 1962, in Kinistino, at age 82 and was buried on 20 Sep 1962, in the Kinistino Cemetery.
 
They had 5 children:
 

1. Hilmer Edward Harper was born on 21 May 1905 at Port Perry, Ontario Co., Ontario. He married Clarisse Peterson on 20 May 1932 at Somme, Saskatchewan. He died on 28 Mar 1981, at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, at age 75. He was buried on 1 Apr 1981, in the  Norden Lutheran Churchyard near Kinistino.

2. Gordon James Harper was born on 9 September 1906 in Kinistino, Saskatchewan.  He married Irene Frances Gilbertson, daughter of Karl Johan Gilbertson and Bertha Stenitta Lovaas, on 9 Nov 1934 in the United  Church Manse, Kinistino.  He died on 19 Apr 1956, in the Kinistino Hospital, Kinistino, Saskatchewan, at age 49 and was buried on 23 Apr 1956 in the Kinistino Cemetery.
 
3. Florence Mildred Harper was born on 9 Dec 1908 in Kinistino. She married Victor Alfred Spencer on 6 Apr 1933 at Kinistino, Saskatchewan.

4. Frieda Jane Harper was born on 11 Feb 1911 Kinistino. She married Leslie Gillingham on 13 Aug 1942 at Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. She died in Oct 1975, in Kinistino, Saskatchewan, at age 64.

5. Louise Ethel Harper was born on 11 Sep 1917 at Kinistino, Saskatchewan. She died on 8 Jan 1928, at Kinistino, Saskatchewan, at age 10. She was buried on 11 Jan 1928, in the Kinistino Cemetery.