In the 1900 U.S. Census, John was living with his widowed mother in Washington, DC. John married Naomi G. (Lowe) Grinder (May 1890 - 10 Dec 1982) on 16 June 1909 in Washington, DC.
In the 1910 U.S. Census, John, his mother, and his younger brother, William, were living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and John and William were both "private family chauffeurs."
In 1910, Naomi was living in Washington, DC, with her parents, Ernest C. and Rosanne L. Lowe, and she was a "department store saleswoman."
John had an adopted son, Frank Mays Grinder (born c.1905), living with him in 1910. In the 1920 U.S. Census, Frank was a student in St. Mary's Industrial School in Baltimore City, Maryland. In the 1920 U.S. Census, John and Naomi were living in Washington, DC, and he was an "automobile chauffeur."
"On Wednesday, June 2, 1971. Beloved husband of Naomi Grinder, son of the late William C. and Mary C. Grinder. Friends may call at the Robert A. Mattingly Funeral Home; 131 11th Street, SE (parking both sides) after 4 p.m., Thursday. Services in Christ Church, 620 G Street SE on Friday, June 4, at 2 p.m. Interment Congressional Cemetery."