Howard, Shirley Sanford

Shirley Sanford Howard of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011, at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Mercy Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Community of Christ Church, 1500 Blairs Ferry Rd., Hiawatha. A visitation will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the church, immediately before the service. Lunch will be served at the church immediately following.

Shirley was born on June 22, 1926, to Walter and Zera (Smith) Sanford. She married her husband, Lewis Lyle Howard who survives Shirley on Jan. 5, 1947.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her daughter, Cynthia (Dale) Marzolf of Mount Pleasant; granddaughter, Kate (Brandon) Ridinger, also of Mount Pleasant; sister, Betty (Elbert) Tripp of West Point; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Ruby Juanita Sanford.

Shirley was valedictorian at Fort Madison High School and graduated from Graceland College and the University of Iowa. Throughout the years she worked in secretarial and accounting positions for a variety of businesses and retired in 1991. She was an active member of the Community of Christ Church from birth where she served in a number of capacities, organist, ordained elder and pastor. Shirley taught many classes and was an active women's leader in the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Outreach International, P.O. Box 219, Independence, MO 64051-0210.

Published in The Gazette Oct. 11, 2011.