William is recorded in the 1947-48 Legion mailing list in Manning.

Branch Army
Enlistment December 16, 1942
Discharge December 28, 1943

He was a native of Godley, Texas, and had married the former Marvell Caton of Mound City, Missouri, who survives him.

Other survivors are: two sons, Larry Thetford, Rhinebeck, New York; and Mark Thetford, Dubuque; a brother, Fred Thetford, Fort Worth, Texas; and a sister, Mary Borden, Fort Worth, Texas.

Services will be at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, Dubuque. Graveside services will be at 2:30 p.m. Thursday in Mount Hope Cemetery, Mound City, Missouri. The family will receive friends from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. Thursday at the Pettijohn & Crawford funeral home, Mound City, Missouri.
St. Joseph Gazette St. Joseph, Missouri December 29, 1981

Marvel was born February 6, 1913 in Mound City, Missouri and grew up on a farm with her six siblings. She was the daughter of the late Atwood B. and Pearl (Gillis) Caton. She married William O. Thetford December 25, 1941. He preceded her in death in 1981.

She lived in Manning, Iowa, for nine years before moving to Dubuque in 1957. She was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Marvel is survived by her two sons, Larry Thetford of Red Hook, New York; and Mark Thetford of Dubuque; three grandchildren, Tracy of Three Rivers, California; Scott of Salem, New York; and Kristin (Rose) of Rhinebeck, New York; and five great-grandchildren Clara, Reid, Eli, Brendan, and Aydan all of New York.

Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Westview Funeral Home and Crematory, 2659 Kennedy Rd, Dubuque, is assisting the family.

William O. Thetford of Manning has purchased one-third interest in the Manning Toy factory from Ted Rix, one of the founders of the concern. Other owners are Dr. Joe L. Loucks and Fay Donaghu.
Mr. and Mrs. Ted Rix and Richard plan to move to Denver during the summer.

Carroll Times Daily Service 1948 article
19 Month Manning boy Swallows Metal "Foot"
Mark Thetford, 19 month old son of Mr. and Mrs. William O. "Tex" Thetford, went a step further than the fellow who opened his mouth and put his foot into it. Mark swallowed the foot playing recently with a metal music box, he swallowed a "foot" off the music box. He was rushed immediately to a Manning Hospital where the "foot" was removed from the tracheal area with a bronchoscope.