Francis Henry Hulshof, 97, was received into the arms of our Lord on Thursday, January 8th, 2026, surrounded by his family at his home, just as the sun was rising. Francis was born on July 23rd, 1928, in Overland, Mo, a suburb of St Louis, to Henry Bernard Hulshof and Emma Agnes Priggel Hulshof, where his father was currently building houses to save enough money so he could move back to southeast Missouri and start farming. Soon after they moved to Portageville, Francis attended St. Eustachius Catholic School, always mentioning that it gave him both a wonderful education and a great foundation to be the person that he became.

After elementary school, Francis was so drawn to farming that he began helping his dad full-time at the age of 14. He completed his high school GED later after the Korean War and was a voracious reader of many books, articles, and current events which led him to make a run for political office in the early 60's as a state representative for southeast Missouri.

He was a very active member of both the St. Eustachius school and parish, often being a lector, greeter and many ministries at the church, and supporting all endeavors and functions. He was honored to help with the groundbreaking ceremony for the new school, attending as the oldest living graduate. He was a well-known beloved member of the parish, with both young and old.

He was proud of his military background having served in the Korean War as a Forward Observer for the 8th Field Artillery, responsible for bringing vital information back to his unit. Later on, he thoroughly enjoyed meeting new and old friends at the annual 25th Infantry Reunions.

After the army, Francis came back to Portageville, Mo and met Marcella (Sally) Krapf at a dance in Glennonville, Mo. They were married June 26th, 1954, and celebrated 71 years of marriage this past summer, recently reflecting lovingly that they knew they had found the perfect person to go through life with. They had six children; David, Janet, Randy, Karen, Mary and Diana, all who loved growing up on the farm centered on faith, family and fun. He was blessed to have his son, Randy, by his side on the farm, who also started his own farming career upon graduating from college. This handing down of the love of farming from Henry, to Francis, to Randy will be celebrated when the Missouri Century Farm Award is presented to the family in 2027.

He was very proud of his community. His hometown was a source of pride for him, and he never missed the National Soybean Festival Parade in its 78-year history except for the year he was in Korea. The usual viewing location of the parade with his family was in the front yard of his cousin Mary DeLisle at the end of Main Street. Later on, he was excited to be an active participant in the parade, driving a military jeep similar to the one he drove in Korea. He also attended many Portageville High School Veterans Day recognition ceremonies, his grandchildren's Veterans Day programs, and was the speaker at a VFW gathering in North Carolina, while visiting his bunk buddy, Frank Hosteller. He was a member of the Missouri Military Honor Guard program, making sure he was there to comfort the families at the funerals of his fellow fallen veterans. He loved his country and the flag, flying it every day over the family farmhouse.

Francis lived and loved his Catholic faith. He was a proud member of the Knights of Columbus since the age of eighteen, making him one of the longest active members in the state of Missouri. Also, before harvest every year, Francis would make it a priority to renew and deepen his relationship with Christ and attend the spiritual White House Retreat in St Louis, Mo where he was recently recognized as a fifty-year attendee.

Francis worked hard on the farm, and when there was time, he also loved traveling. His favorite trips included many family vacations to Branson, political conventions, two trips back to South Korea, always bringing as many family members along as he could. His favorite times were those spent with his siblings at their Hulshof Family Fun reunions, and the Glennonville Picnics with the Krapf family.

Francis loved his children and grandchildren and enjoyed telling them stories about the old days, farming and any historical facts he could impart. It was truly a joy and fun to hang around dad and grandpa, riding around with him on the farm, flying kites in the front yard, feeding the cows in the pasture, playing cards, actively helping with farming and harvest, enjoying many Christmas gatherings and most of all, just sitting and talking.

In his later years, after spending hours reading the newspaper at the kitchen table, he would wind down by sitting outside on the patio, watching the FedEx trucks roll by on I-55, with a glass of sweet tea and Tang nearby.

Francis was the oldest of seven children. He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Emma  Hulshof; his brothers, Paul Hulshof, Charleston, Mo and Vincent Hulshof, Benton; his sisters, Mary Emma Hulshof, Portageville, Mo and Rosemary Hulshof Brown, Bowling Green, Ky; and many of the Krapf siblings and family he lovingly considered his own.

He is survived by his wife, Sally (Krapf) Hulshof; brother, Joe Hulshof of Perkins, Mo, and sister, Jane Marie Duenne of Bertrand, Mo; six children, Father David Hulshof, Springfield, Mo; Janet (Lee) Haines, Cape Girardeau; Randy Hulshof, Portageville; Karen (Rob) Masterson, St Louis; Mary (Tom) Schaff, St Louis and Diana (Joe) Hennemann, Kelso, Mo. He also leaves behind ten grandchildren: Logan (Geneva) Haines, Kansas City, Mo; Jennifer Haines, St Louis; Luke Haines, San Francisco, Ca; Brooke Masterson (Eric) Stevenson, Holts Summit, Mo; Ryan Masterson, Aspen, Co; Rachael Schaff, St Louis; Aaron Schaff, Austin, Tx; and Anna, Claire and Brenlee Hennemann of Kelso, Mo; four great-grandchildren, Micah and Elena Haines, Kansas City, Mo; John and Maria Stevenson, Holts Summit, Mo.

Our dad felt enormously blessed by this community. Francis was also blessed by the most wonderful ladies helping take care of Sally and him in their home. The family wishes to thank you all.

Memorial requested to St. Eustachius School Endowment