At the age of 91 years, our beloved patriarch - husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather - left us on September 15, 2026, to enter into his long-awaited heavenly reward. He was an honorable man who lived his life honorably. We miss him so! But we rejoice knowing he is whole, healthy and young again in the arms of Jesus.

Lin was preceded in death by his father and mother. He is survived by his wife, Lavada; daughter, Laura Ann Jones Watts of Oklahoma City; son, Timothy Lin Jones of Wayne, OK; granddaughter, Amanda Renee Jones Baxter of Sedalia, Missouri; grandsons, Thomas Jefferson Watts and Colin Joel Watts of Oklahoma City, Andrew Lin Jones (wife Erica) of Atlanta, Texas, Timothy Austin Jones (wife Kaylee) and Aaron Michael Jones (wife Anna) of Texarkana, Texas; and 13 great-grandchildren.

Lindley (Lin or Linnie, as his family and classmates called him as a child) Oscar Jones was born on May 29, 1935, in the rolling, red hills of Grady County outside of Minco, Oklahoma into the loving family of Fred Murray Jones and Sarah Francis (Thompkins) Jones. They may have been as poor as a church mouse, but what they lacked in material possessions, they made up for with the love and laughter of their home. Sarah, who was a master chef of fried chicken, squirrel and rabbit (Linnie's favorites) and fried venison that Linnie and Fred harvested, was light-hearted and funny while Fred was serious yet loving. Experiencing an incredible bond with his dad, Linnie never had a negative word to say about his father. He respected and looked up to him like no other son. He died when Linnie was 16 years old from the effects of chemical gas exposure in France during WWI. The loss of his father was something he never got over. Throughout his life, whenever he spoke of his dad, a river of tears followed from the immense loss.

As a boy, with both sets of grandparents living nearby, Linnie was very close to his grandpas whom he was named after. One of his favorite memories was walking the rolling hills and valleys of Grady and Caddo Counties with his Grandpa Thompkins, searching for buried treasure using a map his grandpa carried with him in a special case where X marked the spot. They never found the booty under the tree near the canyon wall, but they never stopped looking.

Linnie attended Minco Public Schools, walking the several miles journey each day to the school house. Graduating salutatorian of his class, he was ever the intellectual.

After high school, while working at Woods Grocery in downtown Minco, Lin met the love of his life and wife of 71 years, Lavada June (Avants) Jones. They married ten months later and began their higher education at Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) in Shawnee. They didn't have two pennies to rub together, but God provided in miraculous ways for Lin to attend OBU without incurring any debt. Being an only child, Lin was grateful for the brothers he inherited by marriage through Lavada's family. The relationships with Derrell, Jim, Gary, David, Rick and Roger Kuhlman deepened as the years passed by, enhanced by many quail and deer hunting adventures.

To their union were born two children: a daughter, Laura Ann Jones Watts of Oklahoma City, and a son, Timothy Lin Jones of Wayne, OK. Lin adored his grandchildren who called him PaPaw: Amanda, Thomas, Andrew, Colin, Austin and Aaron. He also loved their wives and husbands, and of course, the 13 great-grandchildren born into the family.

Having felt the call of God to preach the gospel, Lin began preaching at the age of 16 at Canaan Baptist Church in rural Grady County. From there and after their marriage, Lin and Lavada served the Lord in several churches throughout Oklahoma, including Pleasant Home Baptist Church in Pottawatomie County, First Baptist Church Cromwell, First Baptist Church Fittstown, Trinity Baptist Church El Reno, Gracemont Baptist Church Tulsa (now known as Battle Creek), First Baptist Church Bethany, and Eastern Heights Baptist Church Bartlesville before becoming Director of Missions for South Canadian Baptist Association in Seminole, working with pastors in a multi-county area to develop their church programs and counseling them through their difficult times. He retired for the first time at age 62, but within six months his heart pulled him back into ministry. At that point, he became an Intentional Interim Pastor, working with churches experiencing conflict. Ever the peacemaker, Bro. Lin was perfect for this role! It led Lin and Lavada to First Baptist Church Davis, First Baptist Church Wilburton, First Baptist Church Spiro, Utopia Baptist Church Big Cabin and First Baptist Church Bradley. He didn't resign his last pastorate until 2019 when he began experiencing memory problems in the pulpit. So, at the age of 85, he retired for the second time. He spent his retirement years fishing and hunting with his son Tim and all of his grandsons, as well as scavenging garage sales every Saturday morning. There was no one better at finding hidden treasures at garage sales than Lin!

During their ministry years, Lin and Lavada took a few mission trips. Lin went to Spain and the two of them went to Japan, Thailand and Hong Kong. Family trips occurred every summer in Glorieta, New Mexico, as well as several Southern Baptist convention trips to lovely US cities. The most memorable trip was in 1973 when the convention was in Portland, Oregon. They bought an Air Stream trailer and made a month-long family vacation out of it. Starting with several days in Colorado, fishing and enjoying the mountain air, they proceeded to Yellowstone for a few days before arriving in Portland. After the convention, they travelled the west coast, visiting Lavada's family in northern California and exploring the Redwood Forest before going to Pomona, California where Lavada's father and her three sisters lived. It was a very memorable trip for the family that was often fondly recalled.

Lin spent the last 28 months of his life in memory care. His cognitive decline progressed somewhat rapidly at first, but after falling and breaking his hip at Thanksgiving 2024, the decline was accelerated, and the effects of Alzheimer's took over. He went to sleep on September 13 and didn't wake up again until he was swept away by Jesus to his heavenly home on September 15.

Lin was a faithful servant of God, a loving, adoring, and faithful husband to Lavada, a doting father to Laura, a best friend to Tim and a role model for his grandchildren. No one loved more purely and completely than Lin! He would always show up if asked to be somewhere, including middle-of-the-night calls from parishioners in need or sitting with a worried family at the hospital while a loved one was in surgery. He was a man of integrity who truly walked out in his life his Christian beliefs that he held dear. He was known for his generosity in sharing what he had with his family, as well as hitchhikers along the road. His tender, compassionate, caring heart knew no limits.

Our lives will never be the same without him! But we know that we will see him again when we all get to heaven where he has undoubtedly found new treasures to show us when we join him. "Let me show you what I found today!" as he beckons us closer. Words we long to hear and expectantly know that we shall.

Viewing at Mercer-Adams will be Thursday, 3:30-8pm, with family present from 5-7pm. Funeral services will be held on Friday, September 18 at 1:00pm at First Baptist Church of Bethany, OK. Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery in Minco. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Lin's name to the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma or the Oklahoma Alzheimer's Association.