Ida Elenora “Mac” Lange, 84, died on May 11.

She was born on Sept. 23, 1925, in Fryburg, N.D., to Frank Kenneth and Mable (Boicourt) McCullough.

Her family, sister Opal and brothers Raymond and Russell, moved to Bismarck in 1933, then in 1942, to Burns, where she met her future husband, Oscar Wood Lange. She graduated from Burns High School in 1943.

Lange attended the University of Oregon and Eastern Oregon (State) College while her husband served in the U.S. Air Force. In 1947, she graduated and began teaching art in Salem.

A year later, in 1948, she married Lange, who was working at the Burns Times-Herald. Within the same year, the Langes moved to Madras, and co-published the Madras Pioneer for 10 years. They established Oscar’s Sporting Goods and River Guide Service, beginning in 1959, and many remember their love of the outdoors and the big fish sign over the store on Fifth Street.

Lange began her 30-year career in the Madras and Metolius schools. While teaching art, math and English at the seventh- and eighth-grade levels, as well as third grade, she also served and loved her community. For 20 years she served as a board member for the Opportunity Foundation of Central Oregon,  which operates many facilities for disabled individuals.

Lange served the 509-J School Board and was a 36-year member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society, as well as being active in Eastern Star, Elks and Lutheran Church. In 1976, she helped the town paint colorful bicentennial fire hydrants and recently worked on the Madras Centennial Committee, Community Read Program and Deer Ridge Correctional Institution Board.

Throughout her life, Lange was interested in genealogy and art. She worked in clay with a variety of fires, oils, acrylics, watercolor and most interestingly incorporated sand, charcoal and bits of nature.

Lange loved playing bridge, recently delighted in her Red Hat Society and was ever ready to support her church and the Jefferson County Museum.

She loved riding in a biplane and Model-T, family picnics, camping and traveling the back roads. In addition to being a wonderful mother and homemaker, her grandchildren and her two great-grandchildren were her pride and joy.

Lange sewed her daughter’s gowns and dresses and full-heartedly taught her grandchildren snippets of life, history and pinochle. Being active in her local study/book group for over 50 years helps explain why her home is filled with books, maps and articles.

She made hundreds of overflowing scrapbooks, not to mention memories and letters of the many students and friends she had over the years. Lange faithfully wrote hundreds of letters to keep in touch and would always stop and talk with a ready smile.

As a life-long learner, she was fascinated and interested in so many things throughout her life, and loved and found interest in everyone she met, whatever their path.

Lange is survived by her sister, Opal Hennings-Berry of Phoenix, Ariz.;  daughters Annette, of Tigard, Marjorie of Redmond and Phyllis of Madras; grandchildren, Brynn, Kenny, Brent and wife Jen; great-grandchildren, Ella and Cormac; and many nieces and nephews and their children.

A graveside service was held on May 21, at Mount Jefferson Memorial Park Cemetery in Madras, with Pastor Jan Kozak officiating.

Contributions in Lange’s memory may be made to the Opportunity Foundation of Central Oregon, P.O. Box 430, Redmond, OR 97756, or Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, P.O. Box 789 (395 SE C St.), Madras, OR 97741.