William Thorne Church was born on October 4, 1866 in Wabash, Indiana. His family moved to Chicago in 1872 or 1873.

His father, Freeman S., enlisted in Co. B, 47th Indiana Infantry on January 1, 1865 as a 1st Lt. and mustered out on March 1, 1865 as a Captain.

William was Captain of the General George A. Custer Camp No. 6, Chicago in 1897. He was the Division Commander of Illinois in 1898. He was appointed Judge Advocate General in 1904 and National Counselor in 1907, 1940, and 1946.

At the time of the Spanish-American War he organized a regiment of Sons of Veterans but the war ended before they were called into action. During WWI, he was a major on the staff of Gen. Leroy T. Stewart of the Illinois Reserves. William taught small arm practice as he was an expert marksman.

He graduated from the Chicago College of Law in 1890 and was admitted to the bar the same year. He was a Junior Partner of the Joseph N. Barker law firm. He was associated with the law firm of Robertson, Crowe, and Spense and a Senior Partner for a number of other law firms. Just before he died he received the Certificate of Senior Counselor of the Illinois State Bar Association.

William was a member of the American, Illinois, Chicago, and New York Bar Associations, the Lincoln Centennial Association, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Masons, Union League Club, and participated in other patriotic organizations commemorating the Civil War.

He married Helen Shoemaker and they had one daughter.

Brother Church died on November 9, 1949 in Chicago and is buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Chicago.