He was at a corn shucking. It was said that there was a contest, and whoever found the red ear of corn got to kiss the girl of his choice. His son and John Crockett found the red ear, and proceeded to kiss the girl friend of one of the Lakey boys. A fight broke out, and someone ran into the house and told John Shope that the Lakey boy was getting the better of the Shope boy. John said if that was so the Lakey boy must be fighting dirty, because there was no way a Lakey could whip a Shope fair. He then went out to see about the fighting. He proceeded to pull the Lakey boy off his son. The boy's father, Hiram, hit John in the back of the head with a fence post. It was said that John laid in the field for three days. He was buried nearby. His wife went back to Rutherford County to live her last days with the Burnetts. John died at the age of 63 years on 2 November 1859 in West Mills.