James Kendall Cannon

Notes:

Name: James Kendall Cannon Date of Birth: 10 Aug 1935 Gender: Male Birth County: Angelina Father's Name: Jason Nathaniel Cannon Mother's Name: Bessie Register Roll Number: 1935_0002

The Sabine County Reporter
September 7, 2005, Page 11

Kendall Cannon

James Kendall Cannon died Saturday, Sept. 3, 2005, at his residence in Hemphill following an illness. Kendall was born Aug. 10, 1935, and was 70 years old at the time of his death.

He was a member of Pipefitters Local #195 before returning to Hemphill and he owned and operated Cannon's Propane Company. He also served in the U. S. Air Force during the 1950's.

Survivors: his wife, Frances Cannon of Hemphill; three daughters, Brenda Smith of Newton, Kathy Stanley of Warren, and Peggy Cannon of Yellowpine; a sister, Erlyne Cannon of Reno, Nevada; a brother, Dean Vance of Yellowpine; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the chapel of Starr Funeral Home Inc in Hemphill. Interment followed at Yellowpine Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to Six Mile Baptist Church Building Fund at HC 53, Box 4830, Hemphill, TX 75948; or Lakes Area Hospice at P. O. Box 2086, Jasper, TX 75951.

Services were under the direction of Starr Funeraal Home Inc. Hemphill.

(Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong, July 2012)

James married Frances Gwendolyn McDaniel before 1955. Frances (daughter of James Wendell McDaniel and Lodema Caroline Jones) was born on 19 Dec 1935 in Sabine County, Texas; died on 26 Jan 2022 in Lufkin, Angelina County, Texas; was buried on 29 Jan 2022 in Yellowpine Cemetery, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Living
2. Living
3. Living

Notes:

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.2/MMPB-JQY/p1
Name: Jason Nathaniel Cannon
Death Date: 16 Oct 1972
Death Place: Jasper, Jasper, Texas
Gender: Male
Race:
Death Age: 78 years
Estimated Birth Date: 1894
Birth Date:
Birthplace:
Marital Status:
Spouse's Name:
Father's Name: Henry Albert Cannon
Father's Birthplace:
Mother's Name: Durden
Mother's Birthplace:
Occupation:
Place of Residence:
Cemetery:
Burial Place:
Burial Date:
Additional Relatives:
Film Number: 2242193
Digital Film Number: 4169872
Image Number: 1953
Reference Number: 84098
Collection: Texas Deaths, 1890-1976

World War II Draft registration cards, on the same website, show he was born in Hemphill on 7 Jan 1894. The 1920 census instead shows his place of birth as Louisiana.

Bonnie Hyden, a granddaughter, writes that "Grandpa was born in Rainbow, Louisiana...if I remember correctly. He was a prize fighter in his younger days...and quite good, from what Dad says. He ended up in Galveston, Tx at one point. One day he was in a small cafe where a man started a ruckus...which Grandpa finished for him and threw the man out! Grandpa was not a big man...he just had all the right moves. ;-) The owner of the cafe was a Greek man and he was impressed with Grandpa...so he hired him. This started Grandpa in the cafe business. Somehow, he ended up in Lufkin, Texas where he met Bessie Register...Grandma Cannon. The Registers were a fairly "well-to-do" family in Lufkin and they didn't take too kindly to Grandma taking a shine to Grandpa! As I hear, the Registers NEVER cared for Grandpa...and the feeling was mutual. Dad says that Grandpa had lived a fairly "free" lifestyle and loved to dance. Grandma was a devout Nazarene and therefore dancing was a BIG no-no. For her...Grandpa gave up bars, dancing and all his wild ways. At some point they moved to Hemphill, Texas where Grandpa opened up a cafe on the town square. Grandma was always in poor health and having all those kids didn't help any. She was in and out of hospitals, and such facilities. I've heard she was hospitalized when she gave birth to Aunt Marguerite and was sedated to the point that she did not remember the birth...and didn't believe that was her baby! Dad says that he has one memory of them all sitting down at the table for supper, as a family. Grandpa was always working at the cafe; Grandma was always sick. Gramdma passed away when Dad was 12. The older kids were big enough to go out on their own but Dad and two younger brothers were pretty much on their own...they thought. Dad says now that he realizes everyone in town was watching them and would report to Grandpa on their activities and whereabouts, although he didn't know it then. Which was cause for some confusion when they'd come to the cafe or home and Grandpa would give them a switchin' for some supposed secret...yet wrong deed! lol

Grandpa was a man of rigid yet right principles and he didn't mind at all standing up for what was right. One story says that he ran a preacher out of town because he was teaching from some "new" Bible which, apparently, didn't quite line up with the one Grandpa had. My favorite story, from Dad, concerns two men who had been out all night drinking and decided to stop in to the cafe for a bite to eat. Upon entering the cafe they got loud, vulgar and disruptive running off most of Grandpa's customers. This did NOT sit well with Grandpa Cannon! The two men seated themselves at the counter and ORDERED a steak meal. Grandpa silently went into the kitchen, slapped two steaks on the grill, turned them over and then slapped them into the plate...about that fast. He finished their dinners off with cold, day old mashed 'taters and whatever vegetable he had sitting there...waiting to go into the hog slop. He then took the plates to the end of the counter and slid them down the counter to his "customers". Dad says that Grandpa consider sliding a plate to a customer the height of rudeness. The two men took one look at their plates and didn't like what they saw. But...when they looked up at Grandpa to "protest"...they were looking straight into the barrel of his .45 which he kept under the counter. He ordered them to eat their dinners...every last bit...then he made them pay and told them to get out and don't EVER come back. When the men got to their truck, they were a bit "aggravated" so they figured they'd teach J.N a lesson. (That's what everyone around here knew Grandpa by). The men retrieved their shotguns from their truck and commenced to shooting out the large picture windows of the cafe! Grandpa answered them back with his .45 and actually wounded one of the men. That convinced the other man that Grandpa wasn't up for being bullied and he put his gun down. The wounded man was rushed to the local dr and the Sheriff stopped in to the cafe to question Grandpa. Grandpa asked the Sheriff, "Did I call you?" The Sheriff replied, "Well no, J.N. But hell! You shot a man! I have to get a statement from you." Grandpa stated, "There are only two reasons you need to be in my establishment. 1) to eat. 2) if I call you. I didn't call you. So, are you here to eat?" Sheriff, "No...but...J.N....we have to clear this up!" Grandpa, "It's clear. They ran off my customers, they trashed my place. I shot what I was aiming at and the whole thing came to an end. Now...if you're not eating, I think it best you leave." And...the Sheriff left. BUT...Grandpa then went everyday and visited the man he had shot, taking him free meals (since hospital food wasn't any good, he said) and they were good friends after that.

I only have a handful of personal memories of Grandpa since we lived out of state, but in his later years he operated a fruit stand at the corner of the square. I remember stopping by there once and never in my short life had I ever seen such."

(Research):

Census Listings:

1920 Census
Texas, Angelina County, JP #1
Enumerated 14 Day Jan 1920
SD 326 ED 4 Sheet 2A
Lufkin and Burke Road
29-29
Cannon, Jason Head M W 26 M La Ala Ala Farmer
Cannon, Bessie Wf F W 25 m Tx Tx Tx
Cannon, Hilie Mother F W 51 Wd Ala Ala Ala
Caoon, Jessie Sister F W 16 S Tx Ala Ala
Cannon, Mixon Br M W 12 S Tx Ala Ala
Cannon, Rosie Sister F W 10 S Tx Ala Ala

Jason married Bessie Register. Bessie was born on 17 Jul 1895 in Texas; died on 3 Dec 1942 in Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas; was buried in Hemphill City Cemetery, Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Shown by Rose Diane Stanley as a daughter of Benjamin Franklin Register and Sarah Jane "Biddie" Massingill.