In 1883 William's sister, Mary Catherine, became the wife of Lewis Lamoine Allen, whose extended family (former residents of Fountain Green Township, Hancock County, Illinois) had located in Morton Township prior to 1880.  Sometime after the 1885 Kansas State census was taken, Lewis brought Mary back to Hancock County.  We can guess it was this connection that resulted in William (in 1892), other Thompson siblings and later their parents, also moving to Hancock County.

On February 18, 1894, William married Cora B. Langley.  William's obituary stated that he and Cora were married at Webster; Cora's obituary stated that they were married at the Presbyterian Church in Fountain Green.

Cora, born July 9, 1872, in Henderson County, Illinois, was the daughter of Mary M. Yetter and her second husband, Lemuel Harvey Langley.  After Mary's third husband (Mitch McElvain) died, she made her home with William and Cora.  The Thompson-Langley tombstone at Yetter Cemetery also bears the inscription for Mary.

William and Cora's union resulted in no children.  They took in a foster son, Asa Lane.  About 1912 Asa was a pupil at Pennsylvania School.  He may have been the son of Ora and Mary Lane, who were living in Kingston Mines, Timber Township, Peoria County, Illinois, in 1910.

Between 1910 and 1920, the Thompsons moved from Fountain Green Township to Hancock Township.

Cora died on February 10, 1915.

On June 17, 1917, William married Helen Chloe Crow (nee Duffie), daughter of William Hamilton Duffie and Sarah Elizabeth Weiser.  She was born March 12, 1884, in or near Webster, Hancock County, died August 13, 1936, at Ferris, Hancock County.  Burial at Yetter Cemetery.

Although Helen's obituary implied she had been widowed in 1916, her marriage to Rufus Marion Crow (he died June 4, 1916) was apparently over by 1910.  In the census of that year she was living with her parents and reported as a widow.  Helen brought her daughter, Forrest Crow, to William Thompson's household near Webster.  They later moved to Ferris in Rock Creek Township.

William was seventeen years older than Helen, but he outlived her and three of his younger siblings. His obituary stated that he lived alone until his health began to fail about two years prior to his death on February 6, 1953.  He was buried with Cora at Yetter Cemetery.

Thompson, John, 26, male, white, farmer, value of personal estate 400, born TN, could not read or write, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Isabel, 28, female, white, keeping house, born England
William J, 3, male, white, born TN
Mary C, 2, female, white, born TN
Holiday, Ellen, 20, female, white, at home born TN

McElvain, Mitchel, white, male, 60, married, farmer, born IN, both parents born IN
Mary, white, female, 47, wife, married, keeping house, born PA, both parents born PA
Reynolds, Clarence, white, male, 23, son, married, at home, born IL, both parents born PA
Langley, Cora, white, female, 9, daughter, single, at home, born IL, father born OH, mother
born PA
Reynolds, Eliza, white, female, 22, daughter, married, keeping house, born IL, both parents
born TN

Thompson, John H, 41, male, white, married, farmer, born TN, from TN to KS
E B, 45, female, white, married, born England, from TN to KS
Wm J, 18, male, white, single, born TN, from TN to KS, attended school within the year
Mary C, 16, female, white, single, born TN, from TN to KS, attended school within the year
Sarah E, 14, female, white, single, born TN, from TN to KS, attended school within the year
John S, 12, male, white, single, born TN, from TN to KS
Martha J, 10, female, white, single, born TN, from TN to KS
Geo C, 7, male, white, single, born TN, from TN to KS
Annie, 4, female, white, single, born KS
Liddie, 11 months, female, white, single, born KS

Wm. Thompson took advantage of excursion rates to visit his parents in Arkansas.  He will be absent three weeks.

Thompson, W J, head, white, male, Dec 1866, 33, married for 6 years, born TN, father born TN, mother born England, blacksmith, months not employed - 0, could read, write and speak English, rented his home

Corria B, wife, white, female, Mar 1872, 28, married for 6 years, mother of 0 children, born IL, father born unknown, mother born PA, could read, write and speak English

McVain, Mary, mother-in-law, white, female, Feb 1835, 65, widow; mother of 5 children, 4 living; born PA, father born OH, mother born TN, non employed, could read, write and speak English

Thompson, William J, head, male, white, 44, married (1st) for 16 years, born TN, father born TN, mother born England, spoke English, black smith, own shop, working on own account, could read and write, owned his farm home free of mortgage, farm schedule 4

Cora B, wife, female, white, 37, married (1st) for 16 years, mother of 0 children, born IL, both parents born PA, spoke English, could read and write

McElvain, Mary, mother-in-law, female, white, 78, widow; mother of 4 children, 3 living; born PA, both parents born PA, spoke English, own income, could read and write

Lane, Ora, head, male, white, 36, married (1st) for 12 years, born IL, father born IL, mother born PA, spoke English, laborer, general, employee, whether out of work on April 15, 1910 - [no entry], number of weeks out of work during 1909 - 8, could read and write, rented his home

Mary, wife, female, white, 30, married (1st) for 12 years; mother of 3 children, all living; born IL, father born IL, mother born PA, spoke English, could read and write

John, son, male, white, 9, born IL, both parents born IL, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Harold, son, male, white, 8, born IL, both parents born IL, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909

Asa, son, male, white, 4, born IL, both parents born IL

Thompson, William J, head, owner, paying on a mortgage, male, white, 53, married, could read and write, born TN, father born TN; mother born England, native tongue English; spoke English, farmer, general farm, employer, farm schedule 81

Helen C, wife, female, white, 35, married, could read and write, born IL, father born IL, mother born PA, spoke English

Crow, Forest A, stepdaughter, female, white, 11, single, attended school after Sept. 1, 1919, could read and write, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English

Lane, Asa, foster son, male, white, 15, single, attended school after Sept. 1, 1919, could read and write, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English

Thompson, William, head, owner, [no entry for home value], did not own a radio, lived on a farm, male, white, 63, married, age at first marriage - 28, could read and write, born TN, father born TN, mother born England, spoke English, farmer, general farm, whether a veteran of the U.S. military or naval forces mobilized for any war or expedition - no, farm schedule 29

Chloe, wife, female, white, 46, married, age at first marriage - 23, could read and write, born IL, father born IL, mother born PA, spoke English

Crow, Forest, stepdaughter, female, white, 21, single, could read and write, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English