Jason Nathaniel "J N" Cannon

1894 - 1972  (78 years)

• Name	Jason Nathaniel "J N" Cannon  [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Nickname	J N
  Birth	7 Jan 1894	Louisiana   [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Gender	Male
  Death	16 Oct 1972	Jasper, Jasper County, Texas   [1, 3, 4]
  Burial	Hemphill City Cemetery, Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas   [3, 4]
  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
  Person ID	I15483	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	17 Aug 2014

  
  

  Family	Bessie Register,   b. 17 Jul 1895, Texas d. 3 Dec 1942, Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas (Age 47 years)
  Children	1. Marguerite Laverne Cannon,   b. 10 Oct 1920, Texas d. 25 Oct 2000, Houston, Harris County, Texas (Age 80 years)   2. Jason Clark Cannon,   b. 25 Jun 1923, Texas d. 23 Jun 1977, Hopkins County, Texas (Age 53 years)   3. Living   4. Ercel Annice Cannon,   b. 16 Apr 1930, Wichita County, Texas d. 12 Feb 2002, Cumberland Furnace, Dickson County, Tennessee (Age 71 years)   5. Living   6. William "Billy" Nathaniel Cannon,   b. 4 Aug 1933, Texas d. 17 Aug 1999, Sabine County, Texas (Age 66 years)   7. James Kendall Cannon,   b. 10 Aug 1935, Angelina County, Texas d. 3 Sep 2005, Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas (Age 70 years)
  Family ID	F3508	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	2 Oct 2011

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 7 Jan 1894 - Louisiana Death - 16 Oct 1972 - Jasper, Jasper County, Texas Burial - - Hemphill City Cemetery, Hemphill, Sabine County, Texas  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S33] FamilySearch.org, Texas Deaths, 1890-1976, (http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/). [S483] 1920 United States Federal Census [Ancestry.com database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005, (For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the NARA web page. This database is an index to individuals enumerated in the 1920 United States Federal Census, the Fourteenth Census of the United States. It includes all states and territories, as well as Military and Naval Forces, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the Panama Canal Zone. The census provides many details about individuals and families including: name, gender, age, birthplace, year of immigration, mother tongue, and parents? birthplaces. In addition, the names of those listed on the population schedule are linked to actual images of the 1920 Federal Census.), Texas, Angelina County, JP #1 Enumerated 14 Day Jan 1920 SD 326 ED 4 Sheet 2A Lufkin and Burke Road 29-29 (Reliability: 3). [S873] Find A Grave [database online]; http://www.findagrave.com/, (Thousands of contributors submit new listings, updates, corrections, photographs and virtual flowers every hour to the FIND A GRAVE website. When it comes to administrating, building and maintaining the site, Find A Grave is largely operated by its founder, Jim Tipton.). [S60] McCary, Kay P. "Hemphill City Cemetery, Sabine County, Texas" Cemetery Index ; http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txsabine/burials/.