James E. "Jim" Lane died Friday, May 18, 2007, in Terre Haute, Indiana. He was formerly a certified public accountant and was retired from Indiana State University.

He was born Aug. 1, 1928, in Orange County, the first son of Chester G. Lane and Ermel Toliver Lane. He was married to Patrica A. Hagan, his classmate at French Lick High School, on Dec. 18, 1946. She preceded him in death in February, 1992.

Survivors include his daughter and her husband, Nicky and Spencer Margolin of Anderson; his son and his fiancee, Robert Lane and Claudia Rost of Terre Haute; six grandchildren, including grandsons Derek and wife Julie, Joseph and wife Amy, and Sean Lane; 10 great grandchildren, including great-granddaughter Kaylyn Lane of Terre Haute; one great-great-grandchild; two brothers and their wives, Robert and Sue Lane of Charlottesville, Va., and Harry and Marlene Lane of Chestertown, Md.; and his very good friend, Mary Myers.

One son, Philip Michael Lane, preceded him in death in 1954.

Jim earned his bachelor's degree from Indiana State Teachers College, and his master of business administration and doctor of business administration degrees from Indiana University. He was employed as a public accountant early in his career, and was a teacher at General Motors Institute in Flint, Mich., and at Indiana State University. He had the honor of being the first chairman of the Department of Accounting when the School of Business was first organized at Indiana State University. He served on the board of directors as an officer of the Terre Haute Chapter and of the state organization of the Indiana Society of Certified Public Accountants. He also served as a member of the board and as an officer of the Wabash Valley chapter of the National Association of Accountants (now the Institute of Management Accountants).

Jim had a lifelong interest in transportation and railroads in particular. He was a member of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, the Colorado Railroad Museum, the Monan Railroad Historical Technical Society, and the Haley Tower Historical & Technical Society. He collected an extensive library on railroad history and economics, and related transportation topics.

Services were held at Callahan-Debaun Funeral Home, with Abe Miller from Eastside Church of Christ officiating. Burial was in Roselawn Cemetery.

Source: Terre Haute Tribune-Star
              Sunday, May 20, 2007