John Kendall, of Parker basin, Mesa county, was born at Detroit, Michigan, and is the son of John and Martha (Dickinson) Kendall, natives of Scotland who brought to this country the characteristic shrewdness, persistence and industry of their race, and on the soil of the new state in which they settled won success in their chosen line of action and general public esteem among the people surrounding them. The remainder of their lives was passed in Michigan, the father dying in 1864, and the mother in 1884, at the age of forty-three. Almost from childhood their son John took care of himself, working out to earn his living and going from one occupation to another as necessity required or inclination directed. One of his early engagements was as a foundry hand in Ontario, Canada, where he was employed eighteen months. He then worked on a farm until 1888, when he moved to Utah and in that state was employed variously for four years. From there he came to Colorado and located where he now lives, on a fine ranch in Parker basin, Plateau valley. He was married in 1891 to Miss Sarah A. Charlesworth, a native of Utah and living at the time of her marriage at Kanosh, that state. They have four children, George, Alice and Floyd and Lloyd, twins. Mr. Kendall is wide-awake and vigilant, industrious and capable in his business, upright and manly in his dealings with his fellows, public-spirited and far-seeing in reference to public affairs, and genial and companionable in social life. He is regarded as one of the representative men of his section, and has a voice of influence and wisdom in all matters affecting the welfare of his community. He is now in the prime of life, and with health, enterprise, breadth of view and intelligence to back up his laudable ambitions, he would seem to have many years of usefulness and an honorable career before him, even though he is not desirous of public life or official station. He has the qualities which make men serviceable in a public way, and they are not long allowed to remain idle in this country, especially in the great West.
Source: Bowen, A. W. Progressive Men of Western Colorado. Chicago: A. W. Bowen & Co., Publishers. 1905.