John Edward Hendricks was born in Flint, Michigan to James and Barbara Jean Hendricks on September 9, 1949. He served in the Air Force as a ground traffic controller from 1968-1972, after which he successfully managed some restaurants. From 1989-2011 John and his wife Rachel operated the Golden Corral in Charles Town, West Virginia.

They finally settled down in Garden City, Georgia where John died on March 26, 2016 at the age of 66. He was survived by his wife Rachel, six children, five grandchildren with one on the way, and one great-granddaughter.