William E. Warren was born March 26, 1866, in New York, the second son of Thomas and Anna Warren. Unlike his younger brother, Barney E. Warren, who was born two years later, he was not destined to become a prolific songwriter, but he did write one song that I am aware of. It appears as #55 in Anthems from the Throne, the first songbook his brother, Barney, helped D. S. Warner to publish in the year 1888. The title of the song is “Mercy for Thee.”
In that same year, on September 6, 1888, he was united in marriage to Hanna Elizabeth Zimmerman in Gratiot, Michigan. She preceded him in death on April 8, 1907, at age 37. Her burial was in Hamilton Township Cemetery in Ithaca, Michigan. On August 10, 1908, he was married to widow Effie D. (Lingle) Hale in Seattle, Washington. The couple resided in Washington for a while, but at some point of time, they moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. William Warren was a painter by occupation. He departed this life on March 5, 1928, just three weeks before his 62nd birthday. He is buried in Sunny Lane Cemetery, Del City, Oklahoma. His second wife, Effie, lived until age 85, departing this life on May 2, 1947. She is buried beside William in the Sunny Lane Cemetery, Del City, Oklahoma.