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Pastor Anton Prange was born in 1940 in North Hollywood, California, the second of nine children born to Alfred and Helen Emma Prange. He and his siblings were baptized and raised in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and attended Lutheran schools throughout most, if not all, of their education. Inspired by his maternal grandfather and uncles, who served as pastors and missionaries, Anton sensed an early call to follow in their footsteps. In 1953, he enrolled at California Concordia College and High School in Oakland, California. After six years there, he continued his studies at Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he earned his bachelor's degree. In 1962, he volunteered for a year of urban youth ministry with an uncle serving as pastor of a historic church in Brooklyn, New York. His ministry was interrupted in July 1963 when his mother was tragically killed. Following her funeral, Anton enrolled at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. After four years of study, he graduated in May 1967 and accepted his first pastoral call. During seminary, Anton completed his vicarage at Trinity Lutheran Church in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He also married Janis Chapman, whom he had met while they were students in Oakland. Their relationship flourished across the miles until 1963, when Janis moved from California Concordia to Concordia Teachers College in River Forest, Illinois. After graduating in June 1963, she accepted a teaching position at Zion Lutheran Church in downtown St. Louis, where she taught second and third grades. Following his ordination at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Monterey, California, Pastor Prange began serving Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in New Orleans, Louisiana. During their years there, Anton and Janis welcomed three children. Their second child died at six months of age, while Paul and Ruth grew up healthy and active. In January 1970, Pastor Prange was installed as pastor of St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The family moved into the church parsonage and became deeply involved in the community. In addition to his pastoral responsibilities, Anton helped establish the North Lake Charles Help Center, a community organization that operated from the church and brought much-needed social services to the neighborhood. The center hosted more than a dozen federally sponsored VISTA volunteers who provided assistance in areas such as carpentry, healthcare, and community services. Paul and Ruth attended neighborhood public schools, where they were the only Caucasian students. In 1976, Anton resigned from the pastorate, and the family relocated to the Monterey Peninsula to be closer to Janis's parents and sister. Janis worked as both a retail clerk and church secretary before earning her California teaching credential at San José State University. She then taught English as a Second Language (ESL) in the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, serving in a variety of teaching positions for nearly thirty years. Meanwhile, Anton returned to the landscape irrigation business, joining his brother George, who had taken over the family business founded by their father, Alfred Prange. George opened a branch office on the Monterey Peninsula, which Anton managed successfully for twelve years. Even while working in business, Anton remained active in ministry, serving as a supply preacher and assisting congregations during pastoral vacancies. He became a familiar presence at St. Philip's Lutheran Church in Carmel Valley, Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Monterey, and other congregations throughout Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties. In the spring of 1988, Pastor Prange accepted the call to Faith Lutheran Church in Seaside. He closed the irrigation business and returned to full-time pastoral ministry. Pastor Prange served Faith Lutheran Church until his retirement at the end of 2004. Along with the regular responsibilities of parish ministry, he was active in regional and national Lutheran Church work, ministered to students at California State University, Monterey Bay, and served on the boards of several local nonprofit organizations dedicated to supporting youth and people experiencing homelessness. In 2000, Janis was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and underwent extensive treatment. Following a period of remission, she returned to teaching for one year before retiring. Anton also retired at the end of 2004. Over the next decade, they enjoyed extensive travel together. Between trips, Anton continued serving the church as a supply preacher and volunteered as a chaplain at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula (CHOMP). Their son, Paul, married and settled in San Jose, where he and his wife raised two sons while Paul worked for the City of San Jose. Their daughter, Dr. Ruth Trotter, returned to the Monterey Peninsula after her marriage and serves as a primary care physician for the Monterey County Health Department at the Seaside clinic. She and her husband have a son and a daughter. Janis's cancer returned, and she passed away in February 2015. Since then, Pastor Prange has continued serving Lutheran congregations along California's Central Coast. Most recently, he has been serving St. Philip's Lutheran Church in Carmel Valley following the 2025 resignation of Pastor Tony Rhodes due to health concerns. His lifelong commitment to faithfully proclaiming the Gospel and serving God's people continues to bless the congregations and communities of the Central Coast.