Dana Marie Stanford

Dana Marie (Nelson) Stanford, 70, of Cedar Rapids, passed away peacefully on Monday, August 25, 2025. A Celebration of Life will be held from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 28, 2025, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Marion.

Dana was born February 21, 1955, in rural Waterloo to her beloved parents, Robert Sr. and Mary (Gardner) Nelson. She married Stephen Stanford on April 19, 1975. Together they raised two daughters, Melissa Stanford of Marion and Melanie (Brian) Jacobowitz of Cedar Rapids, along with three cherished grandchildren, Eve, Theo and Louis Jacobowitz. Dana is also survived by her brother, Robert (Kimberly) Nelson; sister-in-law, Mary Stanford; nieces Mollie Stanford, Abby Stanford, Jessica Nelson; and nephew Scott Stanford; along with a great niece and two great nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; her two sisters, Sharon Nelson and Marla (Bill) Dinnebier; her brother-in-law Tom Stanford; as well as many beloved aunts and uncles.

Dana graduated from Orange High School in 1973. She was a devoted mother who lovingly stayed home to care for her girls and spent countless hours volunteering at their school. Later, she worked as a para educator for the Cedar Rapids Community School District, primarily at Grant Wood Elementary, for 15 years. Her passion for children and learning shaped both her career and her many years of volunteering, including after her retirement when she returned to Grant Wood to support her daughter Melissa’s classroom.

She poured endless love into her grandchildren, always ready with games, treats, and encouragement at their school and extracurricular activities. Dana was also a voracious reader and had a lifelong love of pop music. Her daughters often joked that she was more current with music trends than they were, and she delighted in sharing her favorite songs with family.

Because of her love for books and education, the family asks that you donate children’s books to a local classroom, school or public library in her memory.