William was living in Bowesmont, North Dakota with his brother Thomas’ family as of June 1, 1900 (shown in the census).

William, his wife Nellie, and children Lawrence, Howard, Walter and Goldie, were living in Leduc, Alberta during the 1921 census. According to this census, William and Nellie came into Canada in 1912, and Nellie’s parents were from Holland.

According to the Nipawin history book, William was living in Forest Grove, Oregon when he got married. It also mentioned that they spent about 10 years, right after they got married, travelling by horse and wagon throughout Alberta, having 7 children (two died as infants) along the way. They then spent the winter of 1926-1927 in Old Nipawin (the town was 4 miles southeast of it’s current location, and moved starting around 1923 when the CPR railroad went by the current location), in a barn owned by Bill Black. William helped in moving the buildings to new Nipawin, breaking his shoulder in the process.In the summer of 1927 they went to Saskatoon to work for farmers, and after harvest that year they moved to New Nipawin, and then to their homestead in the Cherry Ridge district (which William filed for in 1926). They retired and moved into town in 1944, moving to 336 Railway Avenue.