Copyright Cheri Mello. All rights reserved.

John R. Damron was born in Trinidad (today Rosser), in Kaufman County, Texas, the third child of John Shultz Damron and Sallie Daugherty. He was a stock herder, a farmer, and a gardener in a hotel. He first married on 6 Feb 1875 in San Bernardino County to Emily Wilshire. To this union, 3 children were born: George Wilshire Damron, John Shultz Damron, Jr, and Laura "Nannie" Damron. John R. Damron and Emily divorced in the very late 1880s or possibly about 1890-91. John married second to Florida (Flora and other names) Pico. To this union, 10 children were born: Lena, Unknown, Myrtle, Lily, Rosalie, Paulina (Pauline), Mary, Gentilo, Eloise, and Jose. John R. Damron died at the age of 81 years in San Diego County.

Note about that middle initial of "R": John appears on the 1860 census with his parents as John R, the 1870 as John R, he marries in 1875 as John R, on the 1880 as J.R., and the 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 he's just John. His death certificate lists him as John R. "Dameron." I have not yet found a document that would have been generated by John himself stating what the R stood for. I have found information in Helen Foster Snow's Dameron-Damron Genealogy book that states he was John Randolph Damron. That information appears to be submitted by John's eldest son, George Wilshire Damron, who was raised by his grandparents. So I know who said Randolph was the middle name (George Wilshire Damron), I know when he said it (the very late 1940s or early 1950s when the genealogy was being compiled, about 16-20 years after John's death), but I don't know how George knew this fact since he wasn't raised by his father. For all I know, the R is for Rudisill. Further documentation (not family trees found on the Internet) is welcome.