G. F. Yenney
G. F. Yenney was born November 8, 1835, in Germany, and came to America in 1854, landing at New York. Coming to Ohio he stopped at Piqua, but soon went into the neighborhood of Troy, where he worked in a brick-yard for five dollars per month. The following autumn he worked for a farmer at eight dollars, but left this situation to work at a saw-mill in town. The next year he returned to farm work at ten dollars per month, but after three months’ service began working at fifty cents per day, wherever he could find anything to do. He afterward worked a farm two years, receiving one-third of the crops, and then tried farming on leased land. Again he sold out his farming utensils, and embarked in the mercantile trade as a clerk at one dollar a day. In 1863 he came to Sidney, and engaged in the grocery business with Mr. Piper, under firm name of Yenney & Piper. In 1870 he moved to Dayton, and embarked in the ice trade, but soon returned to Sidney with less capital than he took away. Again he entered the grocery business with his former partner, under firm style of Piper & Yenney. In 1878 he turned his attention to pork packing, and erected buildings at a cost of $9000. Three years later he was able to carry the business alone, and also opened a meat market. At this time his business employs a capital of about about $45,000 per year. In 1864 he married Miss Elizabeth Piper, a. daughter of his old partner. They have reared two children, named Katie Ella and Bertie Wilhelmina. Mr. Yenney also has a stock farm, which he manages in connection with his town industries.
From History of Shelby County, Ohio; R. Sutton & Co, Philadelphia PA, 1883