David Thomas Moseley, age 74, of Warrens, WI, completed his earthly journey on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, after a hard-fought battle with cancer.
Dave was born on December 6, 1951, to Glen “Mike” and Marge (Rodefer) Moseley of Warrens. He was welcomed home by his two older brothers, Gene and Gary. He attended the one-room Star Valley School through sixth grade, completed two years in Warrens, and was a 1970 Tomah High School graduate. During his teenage years, he often said he couldn’t wait to get off the farm and out of the area. As an adult, he lived his whole life on the same 80 acres he had wanted to escape.
Out of high school, he worked construction jobs before dedicating over 30 years to the Toro factory, working in various roles. After Toro, he worked additional part-time jobs he was never one to sit still. At each one of these jobs, he formed lifelong friendships with the people he met and worked with.
David was a multi-faceted man, comfortable in the kitchen, the workshop, the farm field, the woods, or on a computer. Learning well from his mother, his kitchen specialties were oyster stew for the holidays, Norwegian burritos (lefse and scrambled eggs) in the fall, and new potatoes and peas for the Fourth of July.
David’s carpentry skills were evident in the log home he physically built in the 1980’s with logs harvested from his property. Over the years, he tackled many other projects, including an outdoor pizza oven, a sugar shack (for cooking maple syrup), and many other small creations for family and friends.
He was an integral part of his nephew Grant’s farm, Moseley Roadside Market, growing onions, fingerling potatoes, harvesting maple syrup, picking blueberries, and giving much advice (sometimes unsolicited), but always with the best of intentions. He didn’t enjoy the customer service part of the business but checked in multiple times each day during the season.
David was talented at reusing, repairing, or repurposing. It was a frequent sight to see his tractor driving east across the farm towards his good friend, Eugene’s salvage yard, and returning home, hauling his next fix-it project. He was a responsible steward of the land, whether hunting or farming, and had a soft spot for Labrador retrievers and stray cats that would wander in (and stay).
His strength in facing many health crises was unwavering. Sixteen years ago, he agreed to help his niece Sara purchase and install an old 30-foot windmill for Gene and Aleda’s 75th birthdays. He spent six days in the hospital with a ruptured appendix, planning the project in his mind. A week after getting out of the hospital, he supervised the successful raising of the windmill and made sure everyone helping kept to his planned timeline.
As his health failed over the last few weeks, Dave was intent on taking care of things. Many dear friends checked in often, and a special thanks goes to Eugene Batten, Dave Witt, and Kim Pedersen for all their support over the last few weeks with “projects” and visits.
He is survived by his dear wife, Sandy, “Sam”, of 22 years. Their story is so good. They crossed paths more than 50 years ago in Millston and reconnected many years later when the timing was finally right. The news of their marriage to the family (and Sandy’s existence) was epic. Dave asked his brother Gene to watch the dogs for a few days because he was going to Arizona. When asked why, David simply replied, “I’m bringing back a wife”.
In addition to Sandy, David will be missed by his two stepsons, Jon and Michael, and their families; his brother, Gary and wife Angie; sister-in-law Aleda, and many nieces, nephews, friends, and neighbors.
Per Dave’s wishes, no formal funeral services will be held. The family invites everyone to join them for a time to celebrate a life well lived with storytelling, reminiscing, and good desserts, on, Sunday, July 19, 2026, from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. at the Moseley Roadside Market, 5009 County Hwy O, Warrens, WI. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Dave’s name to a charity of your choice. The Torkelson Funeral Home of Tomah is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be offered at www.torkelsonfuneralhome.com.
Torkelson Funeral Home
