Horace Ankeney
The Hon. Horace Ankeney, former member of the Ohio state Legislature from this district and a former member of the Ohio state dairy and food commission, was born in a log house on the farm on which he is now living, in Beavercreek township, this county, rural mail route No. 7 out of Xenia, February 11, 1850, son of Samuel and Margaret (Gettard) Ankeney, further and fitting mention of whom, together with a comprehensive review of the history of the Ankeney family in Greene county, is made elsewhere in this volume. Samuel Ankeney was a son of David and Elizabeth Ankeney, who settled in this county in 1830, having come to this state in that year from Maryland, and the Ankeneys have ever since been prominently represented here.
Horace Ankeney grew up on the home farm in Beavercreek township. received his early schooling in the schools of that neighborhood, prepared for college by attendance at a select school at Xenia and in the fall of 1867, he then being but seventeen years of age, entered Miami University, from which institution he was graduated in 1872 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, later receiving from the university his Master degree. Upon his return from the university Mr. Ankeney resumed his place on the farm and during the succeeding two winters was engaged in teaching in his old home school, meantime continuing to systematize his farm operations on that part of the home farm of which he had taken charge and on which he is still living, having permanently established his home there after his marriage in the fall of 1879. During the early '80s Mr. Ankeney was elected director of the county infirmary and he was retained in that position until his resignation in 1889. In 1881 he was elected director of schools in his district and he retained that position until 1901. In this connection it may be said that Mr. Ankeney's administration of affairs at the county infirmary was marked by reforms in that institution that attracted state-wide notice. It also is worthy of note that it was while he was a member of the school board in Beavercreek township that township was the first township in the state to adopt the system of township supervision of schools. During his later service in the Legislature Mr. Ankeney took an active part in promoting reforms in the laws regulating the country schools of the state. Mr. Ankeney's first nomination for the Legislature came to him in 1890, but he was unsuccessful in that race, as well as in a succeeding race. In 1899 his friends insisted that he again make the race and he was elected by a large majority. He was re-elected at the next election and thus served as a member of the House during the sessions of 1900 and 1902. Upon the completion of his legislative service Mr. Ankeney was elected a member of the state dairy and food commission, taking his seat in that body in February, 1903, and thus served for two terms, at the end of which time he returned to the operation of his farm, which since has engaged his attention. Mr. Ankeney and his family are members of the Reformed church and he is the vice-president of the foreign missionary board of that church in the United States, this office constituting him ex-officio a member of the executive board of that body, which holds meetings about eight times a year in Philadelphia, which meetings he attends. In 1888 he was elected treasurer of Heidelberg Theological Seminary, then located at Tiffin, but now the Central Theological Seminary at Dayton, and he still occupies that position. He also is treasurer of the Ohio State Rural Life Association. Politically, Mr. Ankeney is a Republican and has for years been an active factor in the activities of that party throughout this part of the state.
On October 14, 1879, Horace Ankeney was united in marriage to Lina Gertrude Cline, one of his former pupils, wlio also was born in this county, daughter of William and Nancy A. (Harner) Cline, and to this union seven children have been born, namely: Florence, wife of the Rev. W. T. Mabon, of Bellefontaine; Samuel, who is engaged in business at Dayton; Alfred, who is engaged in missionary service in Japan; Elizabeth T., who is at home; William M., who was graduated from the medical department of the Western Reserve University at Cleveland in 1918; Herman K., at home, and Rachel H., now a student at Heidelberg University at Tiffin.
From History of Greene County Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, vol. 2. M.A.Broadstone, editor. B.F.Bowen & Co., Indianapolis. 1918