John D. Waldo was born on August 23, 1831, in Pulteney, New York, to Aaron and Mary Waldo. He married Charlotte Stewart around 1854, and they had at least five children: Charles, born around 1856; Charlotte, born around 1859; Lucius, born around 1863; Harvey, born around 1866; and Mary, born around 1871. By 1860, he was living in Durant, Iowa, and working as a farmer. He owned $1,200 of real estate and $200 of personal property. The family moved to Quincy, Illinois, in the 1860s, and by 1870, he owned $3,000 of real estate and $2,000 of personal property. They moved to Elbert County, Colorado, around 1886. His wife died in the early 1900s, and he died in Denver, Colorado, on December 2, 1916.