SHELLY SANFORD

Memorial visitation will be held from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Friday, January 13, 2023, at St. Olaf Lutheran Church with the memorial service to be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 14, 2023, at St. Olaf Lutheran Church. A private burial will be held at a later date. Gunderson Funeral Home and Cremation Services is entrusted with the arrangements.

Survivors include her husband of 30 years, Steve; their children Austin (Emma) Sanford of Morton, IL, and Nick (Sydney) Sanford of Cedar Falls, IA; her father Lowell Cornwell; her sisters Christine Cornwell and Lori Cornwell. Shelly was preceded in death by her mother Gwendolyn Cornwell and her grandmother Elizabeth Millang.

Shelly Ann Cornwell was born October 24, 1969, in Fort Dodge, Iowa. She was a 1988 graduate of Fort Dodge Senior High and graduated from UNI in 1992. On September 5, 1992, Shelly married Steve Sanford. Shelly was employed with Cornwell, Frideres, Maher and Associates accounting firm from 1992-2017. Shelly loved helping people with interior design and opened Wildflower interiors & design in December 2020.

Shelly was the ultimate volunteer and very involved in the Fort Dodge community; serving as president of Cooper School Boosters, FD Choir Boosters, and FD Athletic Boosters and served on the FD School Foundation. She shared her talents and faith with the church, being a Sunday School teacher and helping in the kitchen. She’ll be remembered for her famous chocolate chip cookies and cake pops. Shelly loved socializing; hosting get-togethers, “playing cards” with the card girls, boating in the Ozarks with Birnbaum’s, golfing, Iowa tailgating and many trips to the sunny beach. Her most cherished trip was time spent with family, celebrating Steve and her 30th wedding anniversary this past September in Key West, FL.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in her name will be donated to the Trinity Cancer Center and local charities.