John Mitchell was born in Stanley, Wisconsin and attended Wisconsin area schools until he moved to Crown Point, Indiana with his parents, where he finished high school. He is a US Air Force veteran, having served in Vietnam. He is a graduate of Purdue University, and worked in the metal fabrication industry for 32 years. He currently resides in La Porte, Indiana with his wife; their two adult children and their four grandchildren living nearby. He is a cancer survivor and a disabled veteran.