On September 20, 1981, at 6:30 in the morning, Lynden Michelle Jones came into this world. She was the second child born to Lowell Todd and Dana Cunningham Jones. Her arrival was highly anticipated and surprisingly easy on her mother. She was gifted the beautiful and unusual name Lynden, a name that would perfectly suit her precocious and unconventional personality.
As a child, Lynden was surprisingly quiet and well behaved. She adored spending her summers playing with her pesky baby brother, Bret, and included him even when she would have preferred to be doing big-girl things. She took dance lessons as a child and later played percussion and drums in her junior high and high school bands. Lynden loved playing the board game Mall Madness and affectionately referred to the snapdragons that grew at her home as “talking flowers.”
Lynden was always deeply self-expressive. She was creative and artistic, and she loved to draw. In recent years, she discovered diamond painting and took great pleasure in completing some very complicated pieces and sharing her work with those she loved. Lynden Michelle was so connected to art that she made her body a canvas, covering much of it in tattoos that were meaningful to her.
She had an eclectic taste in music, and music was a major thread woven throughout her life. For her 45th birthday, the only thing she requested was a giant pair of speakers to be installed in her car. Although she never got the chance to hear them, she knew they had been installed, and that made her extremely happy.
Lynden had an affinity for deviled eggs, cheese and the ocean. She was decidedly not a fan of winter or snow and never looked forward to the arrival of cold weather. Lynden didn’t care much for tight clothing and was far happier in fuzzy pajama pants and hoodies. She also loved jewelry and could often be found wearing multiple rings, many of them gifts from Jeremiah, on nearly every finger.
Those who knew Lynden well knew that she struggled with addiction for a significant part of her adult life. At one point, that addiction left her without stable housing and with a genuine hunger that propelled her toward seeking treatment and beginning the difficult work of real recovery. Lynden was candid about these chapters of her life and expressed deep regret for some of her choices. But she did not dwell there. She never blamed her addiction on anyone or any events in her past. She made amends where it was possible and restored and healed damaged relationships.
Lynden’s strength would be tested again when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She faced cancer as she had learned to face so much in her life: with determination, honesty and the support of those who loved her.
Generosity, compassion and the need to give back became Lynden’s go-to. She demonstrated that generosity in practical ways, making donations and watching for people in public who needed a leg up. She was not judgmental and worked hard at being an encourager, even to complete strangers, by complimenting them. Lynden knew what it felt like to struggle, and perhaps because of that, she became especially good at noticing people. She wanted the person standing in front of her, whether friend or stranger, to leave the encounter feeling a little better than when they arrived.
Lynden was the mother of two children, Kyle Edward Olson and Zoe Alexandria Johnson. Lynden was candid about the fact that she didn’t always make the best choices as a young mother. But as she grew and embraced recovery, she tried her best to become the loving and concerned mother she wanted to be. Kyle and his fiancée, Tiffany Blount, gave Lynden her only grandchild, Ava Marie Olson, whom she adored. Lynden also enjoyed an especially close bond with her daughter, Zoe. She spent hours encouraging Zoe to make good choices and to embrace all of the opportunities that would be available to her in life, including going to college. More than anything, Lynden wanted her children and granddaughter to have lives filled with opportunities, happiness and love.
Lynden’s favorite color was purple, and several years ago her fiancé, Jeremiah Vernier, gifted her a purple Bible. In recent years, Lynden’s faith became increasingly important to her, and that Bible is now filled with Scriptures highlighted in yellow marker. When Lynden attended a Bible study group, one participant remarked on how diligent she was about doing her homework and completing everything required for the study.
Lynden may have been unconventional and not an every-Sunday churchgoer, but her faith was important to her, and she made no bones about her belief in Jesus Christ. Recently, she and Jeremiah had expressed a desire to be baptized. So, true to Lynden’s unconventional path through life, she was baptized by her parents in her hospital bed on the day of her passing. Lynden responded by blinking her eyes several times, making it obvious to those who loved her that the moment was meaningful to her.
Lynden was also a lifelong lover of animals and rarely lived without a beloved pet nearby. From the animals she loved as a child to those who shared her life in her final years, they brought her tremendous happiness. She deeply loved Gizmo, Onyx and Snoop, who were not simply pets to Lynden but members of her family.
Lynden’s life was not perfect, and she never pretended that it was. She experienced tremendous joy and tremendous struggle. She made mistakes, owned them, learned from them and continued becoming. She was precocious, unconventional, artistic, funny, generous, compassionate and gloriously herself. Those who loved Lynden will remember her: covered in meaningful tattoos, music turned up loud, probably wearing pajamas, surrounded by the animals she adored and loving her people with her whole heart.
Lynden passed away on September 25, 2026. She was predeceased by her big sister, Tiffany Leah Jones; her grandparents, Lowell Nelson and Martha Robinson Jones; and Jack Dana and Katherine Stubbs Cunningham.
Lynden is survived by her soulmate and adoring fiancé, Jeremiah Vernier; her children, Kyle Edward Olson and Zoe Alexandria Johnson; Kyle’s fiancée, Tiffany Blount; and her beloved granddaughter, Ava Marie Olson. She is also survived by her parents, Lowell Todd and Kelly Queen Jones, and Dana Cunningham Jones; her brother, Lowell Bret Jones; her uncles, Troy Jones and Terry Cunningham, and Terry’s wife, Kaye French Cunningham; and many extended family members and friends who loved her deeply. Lynden also leaves behind her beloved pets, Gizmo, Onyx and Snoop, who were very much members of her family.
A Celebration of Lynden's Life will be held at Haller Funeral Home & Crematory on Wednesday, September 30th at 1:00pm followed by burial at Greenlawn Cemetery. Calling hours will be on Tuesday from 4:00 to 7:00pm and Wednesday from 12:00pm until 1:00pm. In honor of Lynden and her lifelong love of purple, those attending are encouraged to wear purple. A party celebrating Lynden’s life will be held at a later date, with details to be announced.
Because Lynden knew firsthand the realities of hunger, addiction, homelessness and breast cancer, her family asks that those wishing to honor her consider making a donation to one of the following organizations:
The Hope Clinic of Ross County
610 Central Center
Chillicothe, OH 45601
(740) 774-4606
Seeds of Hope
2170 Lunbeck Road
Chillicothe, OH 45601
(740) 663-7005
Good Samaritan Food Pantry
255 North Woodbridge Avenue
Chillicothe, OH 45601
(740) 702-7222
Full service details and the family guest book are available at Haller Funeral Home & Crematory.