William Crane was born on the Isle of Man, May 16, 1841. His father, William Crane, was a soldier in the British army for 3 to 4 years, and died of cholera while in the Indias at the age of 33. His mother, Catherine (nee Faragher), was born on the Isle of Man. His brother was Thomas Crane and they lived in a sod house thatched with straw and had an earth floor.
When he was 21 years old, he married Miss Margaret Bolt, born in the Isle of Man, daughter of James and Ann (Faragher) Bolt. William came to Ida County in 1884 to Corwin Township, Ida County, Iowa. He moved from Jones County, Iowa, where he had lived 30 years, pursuing his life work of farming. In 1892, he bought a farm of 160 acres in Corwin Twp. On the farm was a cottage 14 x 30 feet.
Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. William Crane: Alice (married R. M. Jamison), John, Emily (married F. W. Fletcher of Garfield Twp.), Henry, Lizzie and Mary, twins of Elijah and Mate, Maggie, and Thomas. He served as a member of the School Board.