Melissa Jo Tyner

Melissa Jo Tyner, 60, of Bluffton, IN, went to Heaven on February 8th with family by her side. Melissa was born to Max and Marjorie Tyner on September 10th, 1961. She attended and graduated from Lancaster School of Huntington, IN.
Missy was a devoted daughter, sister, and aunt. Her family meant the world to her. She was the definition of determination and courage, overcoming a lifetime of obstacles without complaint or loss of her shining light and smile. When she was born, the doctors said she may never walk. Her devout mother taught her to walk. They said she may not live past the age of 5, yet she graced this earth with her beautiful presence for 60 years.
Melissa was a long-time member of the Warren United Church of Christ. She began with Bi-County Services in June of 1998. Through the years, Missy served on their Safety Committee, Board of Directors, and The Self-Advocates. She was passionate about taking part in volunteer projects, such as delivering food for schools, Thanksgiving and Christmas boxes, and ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. Missy was an extremely social person. She always made an effort to welcome new clients to Bi-County with open arms. She was always excited to visit new places and experience new adventures. She especially loved to cook with her friend and companion, Jodi Oaks. Missy was an avid reader who enjoyed going to the library. She was always interested in attending classes so she could learn new skills and develop more independence. Missy adored dogs and penguins were her favorite animal of all.
Missy cherished people. Her kind heart left an impact on everyone in her wake. She spent her life amazing her family, friends, and doctors by beating all odds with her undeniable resilience, hope and love for life. She was incredibly innovative at finding new ways to do everyday tasks at home. Missy never stopped learning or growing. She always strived to live her life to the fullest regardless of her age or disability. She proudly requested to be an organ donor and so continues to help others to this day.
She is survived by her father, Max Tyner; her brother Dan (Lori) Tyner; sister Dianna (Harold) Turner; nieces Lindsey (Dan) Miller, Jessica Turner, Michaela (Trevor) Peters; and nephews Eric Tyner, Aaron Tyner, Kyle (Ashley) Turner. She was proceeded in death and reunited with her mother, Marjorie Tyner and her sister, Kathleen Tyner.
Family and friends may gather to share and remember at the United Warren Church of Christ 202 E. 2nd St. Warren on Tuesday, February 15th at 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. A celebration of life service will follow at 2:00 PM with Pastor Troy Drayer officiating. Burial will take place in the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Huntington, IN.
Memorial donations may be made to Bi-County Services, Inc. at 425 East Harrison Rd, Bluffton, IN 46714.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Glancy Funeral Homes in Warren, IN.
Please read below a special tribute for Missy, written by Bi-County Services.
Missy began with Bi-County Services 6/11/1998.
There is so much to share about Missy's involvement with Bi-County Services. She was always fully engaged and put forth her best efforts with everything she did. Missy was a people-person, she loved going anywhere she could interact with others: Bi-County, WOW transportation, the zoo, shopping, movies, restaurants, hospitals, Bluffton Street Fair, the Mayor's office, and of course, her family members. She had a good heart and was always concerned about others.
When a new person arrived at Bi-County, she would ask staff if that person was visiting or coming to Bi-County too. She was very welcoming to new individuals - greeting them with a smile, a hello and made the effort to regularly check-in with them. If she saw a peer that looked sad or troubled, she would try to cheer them up. If she felt that the peer needed more than her cheer, she would tell staff.
Through the years, Missy joined Bi-County Services Safety Committee, Board of Directors, and The Self-Advocates. She was very dedicated to each of those groups. She even took it upon herself to remind committee members of the next meeting date a week beforehand.
Missy enjoyed taking part in activities, especially helping people. Some of the volunteer projects she participated in over the years were: visiting with Head Start children, delivering back-pack foods for schools, ringing the bell for Salvation Army, distributing candy at Boo in Bluffton, and delivering Thanksgiving and Christmas boxes.
She also was excited to visit places of her interest such as: an apple orchard, an Amish farm and grocery store, Matthews, IN with a new painted mural and riding over a covered bridge, exploring locations to find Garfield at each one, Black Pine Animal Sanctuary, and the lighthouse and lake in Celina. Missy also took a liking to riding in a golf cart and water wars – combine the two and she soaked anyone in range, including the driver (who was parked).
Missy enjoyed working in the workshop and set-up and clean-up of lunchroom needs. She felt that the work she did was a source of helping someone. Missy was quite interested in attending classes so that she could learn new skills and develop more independence. She loved cooking, trying new and heirloom recipes and then happily sharing the food with family and friends. Missy also made baby blankets for family members and others. She was always smiling about the babies who would have this special gift from her. Missy was an avid reader who loved going to the library and getting books. In the past few years, she had read over 200 books. Penguins were her favorite animal of all. She also enjoyed dogs and the opportunities to visit with others' dogs when her own dog passed away. She quickly learned the personalities of each dog she visited. Not surprisingly, each dog loved Missy's attention.
Missy changed and grew during her days at Bi-County. It was not due entirely to Bi-County, it was because Missy wanted to do things, to grow, keep learning regardless of her age and disability. She learned that she needed to look differently at things that were difficult – not to give-up but to reach for ways that could make her successful in conquering challenges.
Her presence will be truly missed.