William Plante was born in St. Cuthbert, Canada on November 16, 1870. William migrated to Woonsocket at the age of 25. On July 1, 1895 he married Mathilde Contre who had also migrated to Woonsocket from Canada, in fact she grew up in a village not too far from William, St. Gabriel de Brandon. For reasons unknown the couple returned to Canada soon after their marriage and had two children while there. They returned to Woonsocket in 1899 and went on to have nine more children, eight of whom survived. In 1912 the family returned to Canada and while there two more boys were born. The family again returned to Woonsocket, this time for good, in 1916. William worked at the Woonsocket Machine Press on Second Avenue in Woonsocket all his adult life. He died on Valentine's day in 1934 at the age of 64.