James was born on January 5, 1922, on the family farm in Madison Township near Brooklyn to James Russell and Agnes Graham Lang. While growing up he won many Grand Champion Aryshire Bulls & Cows Awards at the State Fair & Dairy Cattle Congress. He graduated from Grinnell High School in 1940 and attended Iowa State University until World War II began. In 1941, he attended the Lincoln Aeronautical Institute in Lincoln, NE., after which he was an instructor for the Air Force. In 1944 he returned home and assisted his family with the operation of Lang's Parlor Dairy. James was married to Norma Davis from Storm Lake on February 11, 1945 at the Madison Church of Christ, rural Brooklyn. In 1952, the dairy was sold, and his family started Chief Alfa, Inc. He & Norma spent many winters in Hawaii and Arizona. He was a Charter Member of the Grinnell Christian Church and he helped build the original worship and education buildings. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Norma Lang of Grinnell; his children, Steven (Charlotte) Lang, Broomfield, CO., Deborah (Kurtis) Younkin of Ames, J. Ray (Phyllis) Lang, Janna (Marvin) Stoker, Jerry (Lorna) Lang, and Paul (Cathi) Lang, all of Grinnell; 24 grandchildren; 11 great grandchildren; two brothers, Eugene Lang of Grinnell and John Lang of Traer; three sisters, Grace Davidson of Cedar Rapids, Jane Thompson of Grinnell and Carol Shaner of St. Clair Shores, Michigan. He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister, Kathryn Larsen. The family will receive relatives and friends for lunch in the Family Life Center of the Grinnell Christian Church following the service at Hazelwood Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the Grinnell Christian Church or to a charity of the donor's choice.