When Willem van Holten was born on 18 February 1912, in Leerdam, South Holland, Netherlands, his father, Aart van Holten, was 39 and his mother, Lamberta van den Berg, was 36. He married Jannigje Verhoef on 17 June 1942, in Leerdam, South Holland, Netherlands. They were the parents of at least 1 daughter. He died on 29 August 1987, in his hometown, at the age of 75.