John Randolph Sims was born in west Tennessee on 13 December 1828, to William and Rachel (Walker) Sims. John served as Assistant Surgeon in the 43^rd Mississippi Regiment, C.S.A. He moved to Burleson County, Texas in 1868 and to Tunis, Burleson County, Texas in 1872. In the 1870 Census of Burleson County, Texas, Dr. Sims, and his brothers Benjamin F. Sims and Milton Walker Sims with their families were in Burleson County, Texas, and all three received their mail at the Brazos Bottom Post Office. After coming to Burleson County, Doctor Sims continued the practice of his profession until about 1885, when he practically retired. He had made investments in land until he owned about 640 acres in three farms, two being located on the Brazos bottoms and one near the village of Tunis, aka Brazos Bottom, in Burleson County, Texas.

Doctor Sims was married twice. His first marriage was on 13 January 1859, to Miss. Virginia S. Holloway who was born 17 June 1835, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to Samuel and Sophia (Mitchell) Holloway. John and Virginia had three children, two of whom died in infancy. The other, Samuel H. Sims, was born about 1860 in Mississippi, married in Texas and moved to Oklahoma. Mrs. Virginia (Holloway) Sims died on 22 July 1872, and was buried in the Brazos Bottom Cemetery, Burleson County, Texas.

Doctor John Sims second marriage was to Marry Mc Morris, who was born on 24 July 1844, in Mississippi to Baxter and Martha (Herrington) Mc Morris. Doctor and Mary Sims had two children:

1. Mamie Sims, born 15 October 1881, in Burleson County, Texas, died 4 November 1980, buried in Bryan City Cemetery, Bryan, Brazos County, Texas.

2. John Randolph Sims, Jr., born 4 February 1886, in Burleson County, Texas, died in 1949 and was buried in Bryan City Cemetery, Bryan, Brazos County, Texas.

Doctor John Randolph Sims died on 5 August 1909, and his wife, Mary A. (Mc Morris) Sims, died in 1938. They are both buried in Bryan City Cemetery, Bryan, Brazos County, Texas. Colonel Milton Walker Sims, 1831-1912, is also buried in Bryan City Cemetery. Doctor Sims was a Democrat, a Royal Arch Mason, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His wife, Mary, was a Presbyterian.