Floyd “Jaybird” Joseph Moss, 86, of Hillsboro, died Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, following a short illness.
Visitation will be held Saturday, Feb. 6, from 10 to 11 a.m. at Niebur Funeral Home in Pittsfield. Funeral services will follow at the funeral home at 11 a.m. Interment will be held in Gray Cemetery in New Salem. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, all attendees should practice social distancing and wear masks.
Mr. Moss was born Nov. 5, 1934, in Griggsville, to Floyd “Dutch” and Teresa (Buckholz) Moss. He married his high school sweetheart, Carol Swope, on June 13, 1954, in Pittsfield, at the home of the Rev. Joe Maynard, and she survives. They shared over 66 years together, raising and enjoying their family.
When he was very young, his family moved to Maysville, a small town four miles west of Griggsville. He attended Maple Grove Grade School, a rural consolidated school, which closed at the end of his seventh grade year. Thereafter, he attended Griggsville schools, graduating from Griggsville High School in 1953. During his school years, he actively participated and lettered in baseball, basketball and track, with baseball always being his favorite sport. He was the pitcher for his team.
His desire was so great to participate in competitive sports that he was willing to walk the four miles home following school practice and after each game, whether it was at Griggsville or away, regardless of the weather. Sometimes he was able to catch a ride with neighbors. While in high school, he played semi-pro baseball for the Nite Hawks, which traveled through Illinois, Missouri and Iowa. Following high school, he signed with the St. Louis Brown’s minor league baseball team as a pitcher. However, due to an injury to his pitching elbow, he was not able to pursue his baseball career.
He entered military service shortly after his marriage, and was shipped to Japan for his tour of duty. He was soon selected for the special service of playing baseball to entertain the troops who were stationed there at that time.
For over 40 years, he worked as an operating engineer in road construction and was a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 965. During that time, he worked for Callender Construction Co. of Pittsfield and for the Illinois Valley Paving Co. of Winchester, retiring in 1999.
He was a member of Hillsboro Calvary Baptist Church. Before moving to Hillsboro in 2002, he was a member of the Pittsfield First Baptist Church, where he served as deacon and taught a young boys’ Sunday school class.
In addition to his loving wife, he is survived by his son, Edward J. Moss of Sioux Falls, SD; daughter, Lisa G. Lister of Hillsboro; son-in-law, William “Bill” Dike of Republic, MO; eight grandchildren, Christina Moss, David Moss, Christopher Dike, Katherine Dike, Jeffery Dike, Nicholas Lister, Nathaniel Lister and Natalie Lister; and five great-grandchildren, Christian, Sheridan, Garret, Kenley and Colton.
He was the last of his family. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a daughter, Penny Kay (Moss) Dike; brother, Charles William Moss; and three sisters, Celia Pearl Baust, Dorothy Lee Price and Clara Bernice Tucker.
Charitable donations may be made in his memory to Gray Cemetery, c/o Everett Dean, 36510 290th Ave., New Salem, IL 62314.
Online condolences may be left at www.nieburfh.com.
