When Joseph Emile Thirion was born on 30 May 1871, in Baccarat, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine, France, his father, Ambroise Auguste Thirion, was 34 and his mother, Julie Gillet, was 33. He married Marie Villaume on 10 January 1891, in Baccarat, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine, France. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 2 daughters. His occupation is listed as verrier in Baccarat, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine, France. He died on 10 September 1958, in his hometown, at the age of 87.