Erna Lange

Erna Cordelia Lange, age 94 of rural Good Thunder, died Saturday, May 29, 2004 at Lake Crystal Health Care Center.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Rapidan with Rev. James Holthus officiating. Burial in St. Johns Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday at Mankato Mortuary and one hour prior to services at the church on Wednesday.

Erna was born September 21, 1909 in Hebron Township, Iowa to Edward and Manda (Hohenstein) Berndt. They moved to Minnesota in 1914, where she had attended country school near Easton. On November 25, 1937, she married Raymond Lange in Easton and had resided on their rural Rapidan farm ever since. Erna was a homemaker for her family and cooked for many years at the Rapidan High School. She was a member of St. Johns Lutheran Church in Rapidan. She spent many hours sewing quilt tops for world relief and enjoyed reading, doing puzzles, gardening, baking cookies, rolls, and pies. She was well known as the Pie Lady .

Survivors include two daughters and their husbands, Norma and LeRoy Rahn of Good Thunder, Marjorie and Bob Schmiesing of Vernon Center; daughter-in-law, Sharon Lange of Good Thunder; 11 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Laura Berndt of West Bend , IA, Elda Berndt of Mapleton; nieces, nephews, and other relatives. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Raymond in 1985; son, Marlin in 1990; two brothers, and two sisters.