He married Lucy Adelia Rhea when she was 16 years old, circa 1873.

Lucy was born November 13, 1856, probably in Hancock Township.  She was the daughter of Calloway Lafayette Rhea and Sarah Jane Smith.  Sarah was the daughter of Caleb Smith, an early pioneer in St. Mary's Township, Hancock County.

John Cameron died about 1887 according to the obituary of his daughter, Lula.  Separate sources give the location of his death as Plymouth, St. Mary's Township, and Colmar, Lamoine Township, McDonough County.

On October 30, 1889, Lucy married
Robert T. Wade in Hancock County.  Born about October 19, 1838 (date calculated from his obituary), in Schuyler County, Illinois, he was the son of David and Nancy Wade. Robert was a widower with children, some of whom may have still been living in the family home at the time he and Lucy married.
Marriage License

Robert died on November 29, 1904, leaving Lucy twice-widowed.

Lucy was married for the final time on December 3, 1908, to James Sammons.  They went to Lancaster, Schuyler County, Missouri, to be married (Jim had family there) and then made their home in Plymouth for several years.  Marriage license  Later they moved to Macomb in McDonough County.

Jim died November 12, 1915, at Macomb, and was buried at the Willis Cemetery in Hancock Township, next to his first wife.

Life was often difficult for women of that era; Lucy seems to have had a particularly rough go for many years.  She bore five children, one of whom, Lula, became an invalid in childhood and who required extensive care before her death at 16.  Lucy buried all three of her husbands.  How did she manage to support her young family in the years between John's death and the time she married Robert Wade?  Lucy applied for Jim Sammons' Union Army pension in 1916.  Those records indicate he died after an extended illness, so again Lucy may have filled the role of primary caregiver.

Late in life, Lucy worked as a housekeeper and later accepted any kind of employment. The 1930 census entry for Lucy is poignant.

Lucy lived with her son, John, for the last years of her life.  She died November 2, 1940, at Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois, and was buried at Rosemont Cemetery, Plymouth.

 
The children of John James Cameron and Lucy Adelia Rhea were:

i.	Bert, born October 13, 1873, in Illinois.  Bert's surname is found as Camron, Camren and Cameron.  He died September 18, 1943, at Los Alamitos, Orange County, California.  He was buried in Yuma Cemetery, Yuma, Arizona.
ii.	Fred, born March 21, 1876, in Illinois.  Fred's surname is found as Camron and Camren. He died May 11, 1948, at Kansas City, Missouri.  Census listing 1910
iii.	Lula M., born February 27, 1880, in St. Mary's Township. Her tombstone is inscribed Lula M. Camren, her middle name is found as Mae and May.  Lula contracted a spinal disease in childhood and was unable to walk for the last six or seven years of her life.  She died August 24, 1896, and was buried at Rosemont Cemetery.  Obituaries and tombstone
iv.	John Merritt, born May 8, 1883, in Colmar, Hancock County.  John's surname is found as Camren, Camron and Cameron.  He died February 17, 1964, in Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois, and was buried there at East Linwood Cemetery.  Census listings 1910 - 1930
v.	Charles, born December 30, 1885, in Illinois.  Charles' surname is found as Camron and Camren.  Census listing 1910

Elisha Cameron, 25, male, farmer, born TN
Elizabeth, 22, female, born KY
Nancy J, 3, born IL
John J, 1, male, born IL

Elisha Camren, 34, male, farmer, value of real estate 2000, value of personal estate 600, born TN
Elizabeth, 33, female, born KY
Nancy J, 13, female, born IL, attended school within the year
John, male, born IL, attended school within the year
Alexander, 8, male, born IL, attended school within the year
Minerva, 5, female, born IL, attended school within the year
Clara, 2, female, born IL

Lafayette Rhea, 32, male, farmer, value of real estate 1000, value of personal estate 500
born TN
S. Jane, 32, female, born KY
Martha A, 8, female, born IL
Levi J, 6, male, born IL
Lucy A, 3, male [sic], born IL
John M McDonald, 4, male, born IL

Cameron, Elijah, 44, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 3000, value of personal estate 500, born TN, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Elisabeth, 42, female, white, keeping house, born KY
Jane, 22, female, white, born IL, attended school within the year
John J, 20, male, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Alexander J, 18, male, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Minerva A, 16, female, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Isabella, 12, female, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Jesse, 8, male, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Elisabeth, 5, female, white, born IL
Ida, 2, female, white, born IL

Ray, Calloway, 43, male, white, farmer, [no value shown for real estate], born TN, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Sarah J, 44, female, white, keeping house, born KY
Martha, 18, female, white, born IL
Levi J, 16, male, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Lucy A, 13, female, white, born IL, attended school within the year

Camron, John, white, male, 29, married, farmer, born IL, both parents born TN
Lucy, white, female, 24, wife, married, keeping house, born IL, parents born [no entries]
Burt, white, male, 6, son, single, born IL, both parents born IL
Fred, white, male, 4, son, single, born IL, both parents born IL
Julie M, white, female, 4/12, born Feb, daughter, single, born IL, both parents born IL

Wade, Robert T, head, white, male, Oct 1839, 60, married for 10 years, born IL, father born VA, mother born GA, dealer live stock, months not employed - 0, could read, write and speak English, owned his farm home free of mortgage, farm schedule 13

Lucy A, wife, white, female, born Nov 1856, 43, married for 10 years; mother of 4 children, all living; born IL, father born TN, mother born KY, could read, write and speak English

Camron, Fred, s-son, white, male, Mar 1876, 24, single, born MO, both parents born IL, stock buyer, months not employed - 0, could read, write and speak English

[Camron], John M, s-son, white, male, May 1883, 17, single, born IL, both parents born IL, farm labor, months not employed - 0, could read, write and speak English

[Camron], Charles, s-son, white, male, Dec 1886, 13, single, born IL, both parents born IL, at school for 6 months, could read, write and speak English

[Camron] Herbert K, s-g-son, white, male, Feb 1897, 3, single, born IL, both parents born IL, could not read or write, spoke English

Sammons, James, head, male, white, 74, married (2nd) for 1 year, born IL, both parents born U.S., spoke English, own income, could read and write, owned his farm home free of mortgage, whether a survivor of the Union or Confederate Army or Navy - UA

Lucy A, wife, female, white, 53, married (2nd) for 1 year; mother of 5 children, 4 living; born IL, father born TN, mother born KY, spoke English, could read and write

Bly, William, head, owned his home free of mortgage, male, white, 76, widower, could read and write, born IN, both parents born KY, spoke English, farmer, general farm, employer, farm
schedule 88

Ernest, son, male, white, 44, single, could read and write, born IL, father born IN, mother born IL, spoke English, farmer, general farm, working for wages

Sammons, Lucy, house keeper, female, white, 60, widow, could read and write, born IL, father born TN, mother born KY, spoke English, servant, house, working for wages

Sammons, Lucy, roomer, female, white, 73, widow, age at first marriage - 16, could read and write, born IL, father born TN, mother born KY, spoke English, laborer, anywhere