Dr. Frank Eldon Stark, D.C. of Chillicothe, MO, a healthcare provider serving the Chillicothe community and surrounding area for 60 years, passed away in Chillicothe on December 30, 2025. He was 93.
Dr. Stark was born August 8, 1932 in Carroll County and spent his childhood in Norborne and the Lake of the Ozarks area. His family moved to Independence MO while he was in high school. He graduated from North East High School, Kansas City in 1950. Following graduation, he entered the U.S. Navy, serving from January 1951 to December 1954.
In April of 1951 he married Jane Morrison Stark. She preceded him in death in 1990. Dr. Stark then married Joyce Hershberger Stark in 1992.
Upon completion of his military service, he attended junior college for two years before enrolling at Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City. In 1960, following his graduation from Cleveland he moved his family to Chillicothe where he established a practice that served patients for six decades. In addition to providing Chiropractic care to the people of the Chillicothe area, he taught at his alma mater and conducted teaching seminars across the United States and in Paris, France.
Dr. Stark was interested in historical preservation and served as president of the Grand River Historical Society for many years. He was instrumental in expanding the museum, helping create displays and spearheading fundraising efforts for the organization. Among his contributions to the GRHS was his role in the Home of Sliced Bread campaign by securing the loan of the original bread slicing machine from the Smithsonian Museum.
A member of Kiwanis International for 49 years, Dr. Stark was an active participant in local service events such as flag distribution and pancake day, serving multiple terms as secretary and president of the local chapter. He was also a member of American Legion Post 25 in Chillicothe.
Dr. Stark was a member of The First Baptist Church in Chillicothe.
Survivors include his wife, Joyce Stark; daughter Cathy Ann (Stark) Hagen, her husband David Hagen and granddaughter Anna Joy Hagen of Goshen IN. Frank is survived by his son John Eldon Stark and John’s wife Janie Stark of Rolla MO. Surviving family also includes Joyce’s daughter Julie Hershberger and grandchildren Derek Thorne and Sydney Thorne.
Funeral services will be held at Lindley Funeral Home, Chillicothe, on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. A scheduled visitation will be held at Lindley Funeral Home, Chillicothe, on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, one hour prior to the service at 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. Friends may call at Lindley Funeral Home, Chillicothe, on Tuesday, January 6, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Burial will be held at Edgewood Cemetery, Chillicothe, Missouri. Memorial gifts are requested in lieu of flowers. Gifts can be made to the “Connect and Care Campaign at First Baptist Church Chillicothe or to the Grand River Historical Society also of Chillicothe and may be left at or mailed to Lindley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 47, Chillicothe, Missouri 64601. Online condolences may be made at www.lindleyfuneralhomes.com.
Arrangements are under the direction of Lindley Funeral Home, Chillicothe, Missouri.
Source: KMZU, The Farm
