My Genealogy Hound

SAMUEL M. FORNEY is a prosperous farmer in Divide township, Buffalo county, Nebr., much respected by his neighbors and acquaintances for his honesty and integrity. He was born October 23, 1836, in Somerset County, Pa., His father, Michael Forney, a farmer by occupation, was also a native of Somerset county, Pa., and was born in the year 1811. His mother, Rachel (Horner) Forney, was likewise a native of the same county and state, and was born May 5, 1817. There were ten children in the father’s family, as follows — Mary, Samuel, Edmund, Sally, David, John, Susan, Catharine A., Nancy, and Amanda. The paternal grandfather, John Forney, a farmer, carpenter and minister in the Dunkard church, was born in the year 1770, and married Susannah Beachly. Of the other grandparents, little or nothing is known.

Samuel M., the subject of this sketch, resided at home with his father in Somerset county until twenty-one years of age, attending school and helping on the farm, and then moved with his father to Olney, Richmond county, Ill., where he engaged in farming, which he continued until March, 1881, when he emigrated west and located in Buffalo county, Nebr., purchasing his present farm — a timber claim at that time — in section 24, township 10, range 16, which he afterwards entered as a homestead. Mr. Forney is an industrious farmer and has raised good crops every year since he came. His wheat has averaged him from fifteen to twenty-two bushels per acre, and oats about forty five bushels per acre. He now has one hundred and twenty acres broken in all.

He was married September 18, 1862, to Catharine Kimmel, who was born December 9, 1845, and is the daughter of Jacob and Nancy (Tombaugh) Kimmel, both natives of Stark county, Ohio; the former was born in 1820 and the latter in 1825. There were ten children in her father’s family — four boys and six girls — as follows — Johnathan, Catherine, Mathias, Sarah, Louis, Serena, two that died in infancy, Elizabeth and Susan.

The union in marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Forney has been blessed with the birth of eight children, as follows — Nancy, born September 10, 1863; Rachel (deceased), born December 29, 1864; Susan, born August 15,1866; Lydia, born July 19, 1868; Elizabeth and Edmund (twins), born July 6, 1871 (the former of whom is deceased); Mary, born January 20, 1877, and Martha, born March 15, 1879.

Mr. and Mrs. Forney are both believers in the Dunkard faith, like all their ancestry, as far back as they are able to trace. Mr. Forney was appointed minister in the church in 1859 and for thirty years has filled that appointment, together with his other duties. Politically, he is a republican.