William Lawrence Thorne was born on February 17, 1917 in Vermillion County to Lawrence William and Ola Borders Botner Thorne. He married Frances Ellen Wingler on November 21, 1937 in Phoenix, Arizona. They were the parents of one son, Larry Byran. After her passing, he married Madge Martha Landis on March 7, 1942. He was a farmer and remained in the Dana area all of his life. He died December 25, 1992 in the Vermillion County Hospital. He is buried in Bono Cemetery.