Bill and Linda Mosley Home
By Kathleen Swift
It’s a wonderful world of Christmas at the Mosley home in the Wilson Hutton District of Joplin. Originally built in 1906, Frank and Fanny Wilbur added the library and the second story master suite in 1917. Bill and Linda Mosley have lived in the home for 27 years. Now, each year they go all out to bring Christmas to the 100-plus-year-old house that lends itself to their holiday vision.
“We love the character of this house,” said Linda. “The rooms are large, with the original woodwork. Our library is different and has floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and wide plank floors fastened with pegs. We also have several French doors in the house along with windows that crank out using brass handles.”
The lovely old house gives the Mosley family plenty of room for holiday decorating. They give each room a different holiday theme to move you through all the traditions of the holidays.
Snowmen of all kinds greet you in the foyer along with a rotating Christmas tree. Step into the living room and find yourself surrounded by old world Santas. Not only is the Christmas tree decorated with Santas, the room is lined with Clothtique and Jim Shore Santas the Mosleys have collected over the years. The dining room is themed with Christmas angels and nativity sets.
Even the kitchen gets a touch of Christmas. Linda hangs a half tree on the corner wall and decorates it with chickens. “Yes, you can find chicken ornaments,” said Linda, “and most of them are blown glass.
“The library is my favorite room,” said Linda. “We have a live 12-foot tree decorated with family ornaments. It is a room geared toward the grandchildren. A train that goes around the tree, porcelain Victorian dolls and an animated carousel. The ornaments we use on that tree carry a lot of memories from my parents from our family life.”
The Mosleys may not decorate quite as much since their children have grown and now have families of their own, but they continue to bring Christmas into each room of their home.