Clarence Wendell Hinesley

He was born September 8, 1932, in Rushing, Arkansas to Clarence A. and Winnie P. (Rushing) Hinesley in a one room log cabin. It had a dirt floor, a huge rock fireplace, and a ladder to the loft. It still stands in the Rushing community!

He attended one room schools until the small area schools consolidated into the Rural Special School District between Rushing and Fox, Arkansas. He completed his high school education there, finishing as the valedictorian of his class of four people. Each of them held an office: president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. Wendell was the last one of his classmates surviving. After a couple of years deciding what he wanted to do next, he went to college in Conway, Arkansas, approximately 40 miles from home. He worked his way through college by being employed on the college maintenance crew along with a cousin that attended at the same time as he did. They worked for .50 cents an hour!

He married Juanema Schneider on August 24, 1958, in Peoria, Illinois.

Surviving are his wife of 68 years; two daughters, Clarice (Don) Spangler of Pekin and Colleen (Matt) LaNou of Ramsey, Minnesota; seven grandchildren, Hannah (Peter) Lange, Hillary (Kyle) Potter, Caleb (Denise) Spangler, Colby (Kristen) Spangler, Holly (Jacob) Seiberlich, Corey (Jessica) Martis, and Collin (Erin) Martis; nine great-grandchildren; Kalliah, Ezekiel, Titus, Luke, Will, Noah, Theodore, Harrison and Evelyn; one sister-in-law, Remona Hinesley; two nieces, Regina (Mark) Lawrence and Rita (Todd) Luningham, and their children; Drake and Eli Lawrence and Ashley and Abby Luningham.

He was preceded death by his parents; one brother, Carson J. Hinesley; two pre-born grandchildren, Clay Matthew Spangler and Austin Harbor Lange; one granddaughter, Rebecca Jane Martis; and many other relatives and friends that he enjoyed spending time with through the years.

Wendell graduated from Arkansas State Teacher's College in 1956 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education and a Master’s Degree in Industrial Arts in 1964.

He taught for 32 years in the Forman School District in Manito, Illinois. In the beginning years at Forman, he completely developed their Industrial Arts program, having begun those years with one machine and an empty room. Beginning teaching, he taught Woodworking and Mechanical Drawing as well as American Problems and Geography. Wendell was admired and respected by his students and fellow teachers. At class reunions, former students liked to reminisce about how quiet Mr. Hinesley's study halls were! In addition to teaching, he regularly drove a school bus and in later years was a substitute driver. He oversaw the 17 bus routes for one year, was Dean of Students for one year, and occasionally performed bus maintenance in the absence of the mechanic.

Mr. Hinesley loved music and singing, especially southern gospel music. He came from a musical family that loved to attend Sunday afternoon singings, many with "Dinner on the Grounds," in and around the communities near his home in Arkansas. His family were members of the Antioch General Baptist Church in Rushing, Arkansas where they regularly held "shaped notes" Singing Schools.

After they married, he and his wife attended the Schaeferville General Baptist Church in Pekin (where they met). With the arrival of children, the family attended and were members of Spring Lake Missionary Church of rural Manito, Illinois. During this time the 4 Hinesley’s sang together and presented southern gospel music programs for churches and community events.

After his retirement in 1990, the Hinesley’s moved to Arkansas for 23 years where they built a home on the family farm with Wendell doing most of the building, of course! In 2008, the buildings on that property were completely destroyed by an F-4 tornado. For the last 10 years they spent in Arkansas, they lived in Fairfield Bay on Greers Ferry Lake where they were active in the Fairfield Bay Baptist Church and the Van Buren County Republican Committee where they made many friends.

In 2017, they moved back to Illinois to be near their children and their families and returned to attending Pekin First Baptist Church.

Wendell loved working with wood, whether it was making needed or wanted pieces of furniture, cutting trees, chopping wood (one of his favorite things to do), or working as a carpenter. He spent many summers working for the Woiwode Builders from Manito, Illinois. He loved the framing part of home building, but frequently his boss would send him to projects to do the finishing work, at which he excelled. He was highly reluctant to give up that career, and continued making projects to share with his children, grandchildren, friends, and family right up to 2022 when related to his instability, it became too dangerous for him to work around his machinery.

We know that Wendell is now in the presence of the Master Carpenter, the many Southern Gospel Quartet singers that he has followed and emulated throughout his lifetime and is reunited with his earthly family and many friends. 

His visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, July 31, 2026, at Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin. Burial will take place in Rushing, Arkansas on August 4, 2026.

Memorial donations may be made to:

---Family Council, 414 N. Pulaski, Ste. 2, Little Rock, AR 72201

---International Fellowship of Christians & Jews, P.O. Box 96105, Washington, DC 20090

To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com