Rev. James A. Lange, retired pastor served area churches

June 6, 1924—April 2, 2009

A memorial service for the Rev. James A. Lange will be held at 3 p. m. Sunday in Trinity United Methodist Church, 2100 Whitehaven Road, Grand Island.

The retired pastor died April 2 in Crestwood Health Care in Wheatfield following a stroke. He was 84.

Born in Beloit, Wis., he was raised in Minnesota and Wisconsin and was a graduate of North Central College in Naperville, Ill. He did his seminary studies at Evangelical Theological Seminary in Naperville. He and his wife of 62 years, Phyllis, founded Northlawn Evangelical United Brethren Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., in 1951, holding services in their home until the congregation quickly outgrew the space.

They moved to Livonia, Mich., in 1958 and helped build a new Evangelical United Brethren Church there.

In 1968, Rev. Lange moved to Trinity United Methodist Church on Grand Island. He served as pastor of University Church in Syracuse from 1971 to 1981, when he was appointed as metro minister in Buffalo and Niagara Falls.

In that capacity, he helped start a soup kitchen, an Hispanic church and a Korean church.

He retired in 1987 and was serving as pastor emeritus of Trinity United Methodist Church.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by three sons, Jared, Glenn and Mark; and a brother, Warren.