Erna J. Lange
March 17, 1914 — April 2, 2013
Erna Johanna Lange was born on March 17, 1914, two miles west of Jacksonville, Iowa to Johannes and Bertha (Nielsen) Jacobsen. She was baptized and confirmed at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Jacksonville. She attended country school through the eighth grade at Jackson No. 4 then her parents moved to Harlan and she graduated from Harlan High School with the Class of 1932.
She worked at Pauley Funeral Home for four years after high school. In 1941, she was united in marriage to Claude Roberts and lived in the Jacksonville area. She worked for two years at the Jacksonville telephone office on the switch board before they moved to Webster City.
While living in Webster City, she was employed by Morten Frozen Foods until the time of Claude�s death.
In 1961, she was married to John Lange and became a step-mother to his son Gail and daughter Wanda. Wanda had sent a letter to the KJAN radio station nominating Erna for the Best Mother because shortly after Erna�s marriage to John, Wanda�s husband was killed leaving her with an infant and three small children. Erna thought nothing of moving in and helping Wanda take care of the children and the household. She would always help out when she was needed and was a very compassionate person.
After John�s death in 1978, Erna continued to live in the Elk Horn, Iowa area for fifty-two years except when she was spending the winters in the south. She spent almost fifty years going south for the winter.
Erna was a resident of Salem Lutheran Nursing Home in Elk Horn, Iowa before she was admitted to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, Iowa, where she died on Tuesday, April 2, 2013, having attained the age of ninety-nine years and sixteen days. She was preceded in death by her parents Johannes and Bertha; husbands Claude Roberts and John Lange; step-daughter Wanda Wiges; brothers: Nels, Carl, Einer, and Julius Jacobsen; and sisters Marie Smith, Bertha Masters, and Alma Rasmussen.
She is survived by her step-son Gail Lange and his wife Annabelle of Atlantic, Iowa; step-grandchildren: Becky and her husband Darrell Kirchhoff of Atlantic, Russell Lange and his wife Colleen of Atlantic, Sherrie and her husband Jim Davis of Pleasant Hill, Iowa, Donna and her husband Gary Hostetler of North Liberty, Iowa, Keith Andersen and his wife Ann of Fort Dodge, Iowa, and Joyce Heuton of Carroll, Iowa; fifteen step-great-grandchildren; twenty-five step-great-great-grandchildren; other family members and friends.
Pastor Keith Menter officiated the 11:00 AM funeral service on Monday, April 8, 2013 at the Elk Horn Lutheran Church in Elk Horn, Iowa. Music was provided by Peggy Doonan and Pastor Menter. Serving as casket bearers were Charles Smith, Amasa Smith, Keith Andersen, Russell Lange, John Davis, and Gerard Kirkhoff. Interment was held at the Jacksonville Cemetery.
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She worked at Pauley Funeral Home for four years after high school. In 1941, she was united in marriage to Claude Roberts and lived in the Jacksonville area. She worked for two years at the Jacksonville telephone office on the switch board before they moved to Webster City.
While living in Webster City, she was employed by Morten Frozen Foods until the time of Claude�s death.
In 1961, she was married to John Lange and became a step-mother to his son Gail and daughter Wanda. Wanda had sent a letter to the KJAN radio station nominating Erna for the Best Mother because shortly after Erna�s marriage to John, Wanda�s husband was killed leaving her with an infant and three small children. Erna thought nothing of moving in and helping Wanda take care of the children and the household. She would always help out when she was needed and was a very compassionate person.
After John�s death in 1978, Erna continued to live in the Elk Horn, Iowa area for fifty-two years except when she was spending the winters in the south. She spent almost fifty years going south for the winter.
Erna was a resident of Salem Lutheran Nursing Home in Elk Horn, Iowa before she was admitted to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, Iowa, where she died on Tuesday, April 2, 2013, having attained the age of ninety-nine years and sixteen days. She was preceded in death by her parents Johannes and Bertha; husbands Claude Roberts and John Lange; step-daughter Wanda Wiges; brothers: Nels, Carl, Einer, and Julius Jacobsen; and sisters Marie Smith, Bertha Masters, and Alma Rasmussen.
She is survived by her step-son Gail Lange and his wife Annabelle of Atlantic, Iowa; step-grandchildren: Becky and her husband Darrell Kirchhoff of Atlantic, Russell Lange and his wife Colleen of Atlantic, Sherrie and her husband Jim Davis of Pleasant Hill, Iowa, Donna and her husband Gary Hostetler of North Liberty, Iowa, Keith Andersen and his wife Ann of Fort Dodge, Iowa, and Joyce Heuton of Carroll, Iowa; fifteen step-great-grandchildren; twenty-five step-great-great-grandchildren; other family members and friends.
Pastor Keith Menter officiated the 11:00 AM funeral service on Monday, April 8, 2013 at the Elk Horn Lutheran Church in Elk Horn, Iowa. Music was provided by Peggy Doonan and Pastor Menter. Serving as casket bearers were Charles Smith, Amasa Smith, Keith Andersen, Russell Lange, John Davis, and Gerard Kirkhoff. Interment was held at the Jacksonville Cemetery.
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