Jona Jean Paulsen

A funeral service celebrating the life of Jona Jean Paulsen, age 53, of Granville, will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 20, at Criss Wagner Hoskinson Funeral Home with Pastor Wally McLauglin officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Brownsville, where Jona will be laid to rest near her father.

Friends may call from 4-7 p.m. on Monday, January 19, at the funeral home, 179 Granville Street in Newark.

Jona was born June 6, 1972 in Newark, Ohio. She passed away on Tuesday, January 13, 2026 (her wedding anniversary), at the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital in Columbus, following a courageous battle with cancer.

Jona, affectionately known as Jeannie by her family, was a 1990 graduate of Sheridan High School and attended college at OU-Zanesville. A dedicated employee of State Farm Life Insurance Company, Jona worked in policy processing until health challenges made it necessary for her to step back.

A true lover of the outdoors, Jona found immense joy tending to her garden. She often spent peaceful mornings and evenings walking through her neighborhood and on the bike path near her home, where nature provided her solace and tranquility.

Jona had an extraordinary eye for the beauty around her, captured through her lens in her role as the family photographer and videographer. She became the unofficial historian during special events, particularly when her children participated in sporting and band events. Her meticulous organization of family photos and videos ensures that memories she created will be cherished for generations to come. While we mourn our loss, we also celebrate the vibrant, kind, and generous spirit that was Jona. She will continue to live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved her and her light will forever illuminate the paths of those she has left behind.

She is survived by her loving husband, T.R. Paulsen, whom she married January 13, 1995; three children, Megan (Carson) Elder of Columbus, Amanda Paulsen (Mark Toeniskoetter) of Mount Vernon, and Clinton Paulsen of Granville; two grandbabies on the way; her mother, Rose M. (Lamb) Detty of Newark; sisters, Pam Bentley and Deb Baughman, both of Newark, and Carolyn (Mark) Scanlon of Herkimer, New York; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father, John W. Detty, in 2003; and by two brothers-in-law, Jack Bentley and Rod Baughman.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance at www.colorectalcancer.org

Criss Wagner Hoskinson Funeral Home is honored to care for Jona and her family.