 Lange was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1897 and raised in Huron, Ohio.At the time of the 1910 United States Census in April 1910, Lange was living on a farm in Berlin Township, Erie County, Ohio, with his uncle, Adam Fisher, his mother, Mary Lange, and his younger sisters, Hilda and Murnice Lange.Lange attended Huron High School where he starred on the basketball and football teams.