John Lange, a prosperous merchant of Germantown, O'Brien county, Iowa, was born in Chicago,Illinois,in i881, and is the son of Ferdinold and Lena (Franke) Lange. His father was a native of Germany, his birth having occurred in that country in 1866. and when a young man he came to this country and settled in Cook county, Illinois, where he became engaged in railroad work and continued to work at that business until his death in 1893. His wife, Lena Franke, was born in 1856, and is now living with her son. John,in Germantown, Iowa.
John Lange is the only living child born to his parents, the other son, Fred, being deceased. John Lange was educated in the schools of Chicago and when seventeen years of age started to work in the railroad shops as an engine wiper. He attended strictly to his own affairs, was soon promoted to engineer, and for the next twelve years was a railroad engineer. However, he found an opportunity to improve himself and in 1911 he came to O'Brien countv. Iowa, and purchased a general mercantile store in Germantown. He carries a good line of such goods as are usually found in stores of this kind and he enjoys a large share of the patronage of the town and surrounding country. His business has prospered from the time that he started in and he now has a stock of four thousand dollars worth of goods. By a straightforward and commendable course Mr. Lange is rapidly gaining the admiration of the people of the community and a reputation as an enterprising and progressive man of affairs. In addition to his business interests he is a shareholder in the Farmers Creamery of Germantown and also owns twenty acres of land in the state of Oregon.
Mr. Lange was married in 1908 to Bertha Berg, who is a native of Germany, her birth having occurred in 1880, and to the union of Mr. and Mrs. Lange has been born one daughter, Dorothy, who is still with her parents. Mr. Lange is independent in politics and considers it his duty to vote for the best man at election time, irrespective of politics. He and his wife are earnest and devoted members of the German Lutheran church and subscribe liberally to the support of that denomination. Mr. Lange is a broad minded and public-spirited citizen, who has not been backward in lending his support to every movement which has designed to up build and develop his community. Personally, he is a most genial man to meet and is an appreciative members of the community life where he is residing.
From Past and Present of O'Brien and Osceola Counties Iowa 1914