John S. McDonald, one of the most popular young lawyers of Grand Rapids, is a native of Canada, and was born in Ontario February 8, 1865, the sixth of the family of nine children born to Samuel and Nancy (Locke) McDonald, the former a native of Scotland and the latter of Canada, where they still reside, and where the father is engaged in agricultural pursuits. Of their nine children, eight still survive. The father is in moderately good circumstances, and he and wife are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

John S. McDonald is a graduate of the Victoria university of Toronto, and his legal education was acquired at the university of Michigan, at Ann Arbor. He was admitted to the bar of Grand Rapids in 1891 by Judge Burch. For a few months he practiced alone, and then, in 1891-2-3, was in partnership with M. F. Griffin, and alone again until 1896, when he was made assistant prosecuting attorney—a position he still retains, under F. A. Rodgers.

Mr. McDonald was joined in matrimony November 27, 1895, in Grand Rapids, with Miss Adelia J. Duncan, a native of this city, born July 27, 1873, and a daughter of James R. and Elizabeth (Banghart) Duncan. Mr. McDonald and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and own a cozy home at No. 505 Cass avenue, where they dispense a cheerful hospitality to a large circle of warm hearted and sincere friends. Fraternally, Mr. McDonald is a Knight of Pythias, also a member of York lodge, F. & A. M.