Paul Raymond Moseley

West Hoosick – Paul R. Moseley of West Hoosick, NY, passed away on Wednesday, March 9, 2011, at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, NY, after a short period following a cerebral hemorrhage. He was born in Cambridge, NY, on December 8, 1920, to Harold Moseley and Mabel (Easton) Moseley and raised in West Hoosick on the Old Maple Lane Farm. He was ninety years old.
During Paul’s childhood, his father Harold was a proprietor and manager of an animal feed trucking business known as GLF. GLF later became part of a merger that was renamed Agway. Paul had one older brother, Arthur (deceased). While he was a teenager, Paul took it upon himself to construct a barn behind the house for boarding chickens. This marked the beginnings of an early egg and poultry business of his own venture. He attended high school in Hoosick Falls, NY, and graduated in 1938. While in high school, a quiet girl by the name of Janette Kjelgaard spied his rural, but suave allure… and shortly after high school graduation, they were married. Paul was 21 and Janette 20. August 29 of 2011 would have marked their 69th year of marriage.
After being married, Paul and Janette acquired a part of the original homestead from his father Harold and his uncle Clarence Moseley. This parcel was on the west side of County Route 103. It was here that they settled, continued in the poultry business and ultimately raised five children. Paul added a few new barns and corn cribs to help accommodate equipment, store feed and ultimately expand the egg/poultry business. He sold eggs, farmed the land, put up hay, planted corn, wheat, barley and also raised beef cattle. In the early 60s, together with his brother Arthur, they took over the (GLF) Agway business from their father and each ran an individual store, one located in Eagle Bridge, NY, and the other in Hoosick, NY. They ran the two sites for about 13 years. In 1962, Paul and Arthur both became interested in aviation. They took private flying lessons and together bought a small four seat Cessna aircraft. The two brothers had varying interests however and soon after Arthur sold his half to Paul. Paul was definitely an enthusiast and kept flying, building and maintaining his own airstrip which allowed him to keep the plane right on the farm. In the early 1970s the Agway stores became less viable and were sold. Paul sought out a new line of independent work and purchased an established trucking business in the milk industry. The farmstead underwent a  minor realignment to support the needs and storage capabilities for a few very large trucks. The old chicken barn was modified to house an entire tractor trailer for winter repairs as needed. The milk trucking business proved to be very steady work and consequently very demanding over the next 14 years.
In 1987 Paul decided to retire from the trucking business and turned it over to his sons, Harold and Scott. Paul then pursued a more relaxing lifestyle and devoted more time to his passion of piloting his Cessna 172. He flew privately until he was 75 in 1996. He then decided it was time to move on to less challenging hobbies, such as RV-trailering. It was only three short years ago that he decided to give up the RV-trailering and the open road to stay at home and “maintain” the house and lawn.
During their life together, Paul and Janette were proud members of the Advent Christian Church of Southwest Hoosick and the West Hoosick Baptist Church, for the last 50 years. They were also both members of the International Flying Farmers for 33 years.
Paul is survived by his wife Janette and their children, Paula and husband Don Baker, Gerry and wife Donna Moseley, Harold Moseley, Ann and husband John Mayhew and Scott and wife Terry Moseley. Together, they also had 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, which includes two pre-deceased grandsons, Timothy Scott Moseley and Glenn Edward Baker, and one pre-deceased daughter-in-law, Lucy Moseley.
Visitation was held on Saturday, March 12, from 10 to 11 am at the West Hoosick Baptist Church. The funeral service followed at 11 am in the same location. Donations in his memory can be made to the West Hoosick Baptist Church. Arrangements are under the guidance of the Robson-Reinfurt Funeral Home of Hoosick Falls.