Lionel E. Hudspeth
Lionel Hudspeth was born December 5, 1937, in Chelsea, Oklahoma, to Calven and Anna Hudspeth. He departed this life Friday, April 17, 2026, at the age of 88 years.
Lionel was the youngest of eight children. He attended Chelsea Public School all 12 years and graduated in 1956. He was a pitcher for the Chelsea High School Green Dragons. His talent earned an offer to play professional baseball after improving his skills playing for a college team for two years. However, he returned home due to home sickness for a short time before his older brother Galen talked him into joining the Navy. He served four years in the Navy then returned to Oklahoma. While he was in the Navy, he married a girl from Strafford and moved to Springfield, Missouri.
While he was working at the Lily Tulip Cup Company, he attended Drury earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Business. As a family man, he later took a job at Zenith to make time for his son, Dean. Once the first marriage dissolved, he met the love of his life, Diana, that bumped him off of his job at Zenith due to seniority. He often said that he got even with her by getting married to her. He enjoyed being a member of the Temple Baptist Church, member of the Lions Club for 38 years, volunteering at the Marshfield History Museum, traveling, operating his ham radio, going to Lady Panther Basketball games, and was an avid baseball, football, and golf fan.
Lionel was preceded in death by his parents, three sisters, four brothers, son Dean Hudspeth, stepson Bruce Young, first wife Sue German, and mother and father-in-law Mr. & Mrs. H.K. Campbell.
Lionel is survived by his wife, Diana, children, Brenda and John Cruise, Robert Young, and Marcella and Greg Hull, Grandchildren, Christina Wallace, Brad Hull, Lacey Cruise, Brittany Chowning, Jordan Young, Dylan Hudspeth, Ashlyn Hudspeth, nine great grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at 1:00 p.m., in the chapel of Fraker Funeral Home, Inc., Marshfield, Missouri. Interment will be in Marshfield Cemetery.
Visitation will be Tuesday, April 21, 2026, from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m., in the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to ILOF, Temple Baptist Church Children’s Camp Fund, of Marshfield Lion’s Club and may be left in care of Fraker Funeral Home, Inc., P.O. Box 85, Marshfield, Missouri 65706.