116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Lana Tapken
Age: 82
City: Marion
Funeral Home
Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Lana Tapken
Lana Tapken
Marion
Lana Tapken, 82, of Marion, passed away peacefully at home on January 10, 2026.
A visitation will be held Thursday, January 15, from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm at the Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home. A Memorial Service will be held at the Cedar Memorial Chapel of Memories on Friday, January 16 at 11:00 am. Burial: Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.
Survivors include her daughters; Holly Gundacker of Seattle, WA; daughter Tara Gundacker (husband Greg Buechele) of Maple Grove, MN; stepdaughter Tracy Sherzer (husband Steve) of Lisbon, stepdaughter Erin Tapken (husband Jeremy Meyer) of Marion; grandson Billy Prat of Cedar Rapids and granddaughter Audrey Mae Gundacker of Seattle.
Preceding her in death were her loving husband of 30 years, John, her parents, sister Gerry Munson, brother Ronald Anderson and infant brother Alton Gene Anderson.
Lana Mae was born in northeast Iowa to Alfred and Gena (Hagan) Anderson. She grew up on the family farm near Jerico and attended country school in Howard and Chickasaw counties. She graduated from New Hampton High School in 1961. Lana worked for Linn Mar School District, Cedar Rapids Public Library and in the City Clerk’s Office in Cedar Rapids from 1976 until her retirement in 2006.
Lana enjoyed spending time at family gatherings and loved wintering in Orange Beach, AL with John where they hosted and entertained many visitors. She will be missed more than she could have imagined and her absence leaves a lasting silence in our hearts.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the American Cancer Society.
Online condolences may be left at www.cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.

Daily Newsletters