He began teaching school at the age of 19, in the year 1889 for the sum of thirty dollars per month on a six month contract.

On April 10th, 1893 he graduated from the Commercial College of Kentucky University, in Lexington, Kentucky.  While attending school at Lexington, he met Myrtle Belle Warnock, daughter of Taylor and Catherine Agnes (Morton) Warnock of Carter and Greenup Counties, Kentucky.  She was a descendant of Capt. Miles Standish of New Plymouth, Massachusetts (ninth generation).  They were married January 20th, 1895 in the home of her parents in Adams County, Ohio.  They started housekeeping in Wayne County, West Virginia.

John M. M. Plymale was a teacher in both Wayne and Cabell County and holds a life certificate In West Virginia schools. He was principal In the Cabell county schools of Davis Creek, Watson, and Pea Ridge and in Wayne County schools of Westmoreland Graded, Dock's Creek Graded and Buffalo High School when it was only a third grade school.

About 1899 they moved to Adams County, Ohio where they resided for four years.   They moved back to Wayne County, West Virginia where they lived until 1923.   Next, they moved to Barboursville, and later Huntington, West Virginia, where they remained until their deaths.

He died December 10th, 1952; she was born April 14th, 1874 and died August l8th, 1946.   They are buried in the Woodmere Cemetery in Huntington, West Virginia.