Jerome Stanley Lang, 88, passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, August 15, 2017. He was born on the family farm near Cleveland, North Dakota on May 20, 1929 to John and Sophia (Wohl) Lang. He met Ramona Larsen at Sheyenne River Academy in 1946, and they were married in Jamestown, North Dakota on October 9, 1949. Soon after, they moved to Fargo, ND where Jerome was employed by the Ford company. In 1952, Jerome started a custom harvesting business which he continued to operate for the next 30 years while pursuing other opportunities.
In 1960, at the age of 31, Jerome decided he would like to obtain a college degree, so he moved his family to Lincoln, Nebraska where he attended Union College and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business in 1965. Later, he served on the board of directors of this same college and throughout his life was a strong supporter of Christian education. He not only remained on the Union College Board for many years, but was soon asked to join the boards of many other institutions because of his business aptitude and dedication to service. Some of the boards he served on were the Christian Record, which provides braille and audio services for the blind, College View SDA Church and College View Academy.
While attending Union College, he spent his summer months custom harvesting to support his family and pay his college tuition. After graduating, he continued to operate this business while establishing J. S. Lang Enterprises, a successful real estate development and management company in the Lincoln area. As Jerome’s businesses began to thrive, his spirit of philanthropy grew. He loved to be on the road, so after volunteering to drive the Union College bus, he soon purchased a new, much needed bus for the college and drove both young and old all over North America for tours, band trips, choir trips and class trips, quite often donating his services. He loved people, and they loved him.
Jerome is survived by his wife, Ramona; his daughter and son-in-law, Jolene and Dennis Hilliard; his son and daughter-in-law, Kevin and Darice Lang; six grandchildren, Anthony (Tammy) Hilliard, Allyson Hilliard (Dave) Simpson, Annalise Hilliard (Mark) Schultz, Nathan Lang, Jordan (Elena) Lang and Megan Lang; two great-grandchildren, Sophia and Max Hilliard; his sister, Corrine Johnson; and his brother, John Lang. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Joette; his sister, Charlotte Van Eperen; and his brother, Arnold Lang
A celebration of Jerome’s life will be held on Saturday, August 26, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. at the College View Seventh-day Adventist Church, 4801 Prescott Avenue, Lincoln, NE with Pastor Terry Bock officiating.
In lieu of flowers, you may give to the Jerome and Ramona Lang Scholarship Fund. Please make checks payable to Union College, state “Jerome Lang Memorial” in the memo and mail to Union College Advancement Office, 3800 S. 48th Street, Lincoln, NE 68506 or go to www.ucollege.edu/giving and drop down to Jerome and Ramona Lang Scholarship or call 402-486-2503.