William Doerfel was born on Monday, December 12, 1881 in Hammonton, Atlantic County, New Jersey. He was the son of Dorothea (Rehmann) and Julius Doerfel.

In the 1900 census, he was listed as living on Chew Road in Hammonton with his mother. At that time, he was working as a bank clerk. By 1910, he was living as a boarder on Railroad Avenue and was a bank teller at Peoples Bank.

Around 1910, he married Alice DeBonneville Tweed and they had three children.

1. Harold V. Doerfel

2. Eleanor Doris Doerfel

3. Everett William Doerfel

In the 1930 census, William, Alice and their children were living at 586 Central Avenue in Hammonton. He was the secretary of a Hammonton Building and Loan company. Three teachers were also boarding in the house.

William died on March 7, 1968 in Absecon, Atlantic County, New Jersey at the age of 86. He was buried in Greenmount Cemetery in Hammonton. At the time, William was listed as a retired real estate and insurance agent.

Alice, who was born August 3, 1879, died on August 2, 1963, just one day short of her 84th birthday. In the 1900 census, her occupation was school teacher and she had completed two years of college.