Peter Dewalt Ankeny
Peter Dewalt Ankeny was born on February 3, 1826 in Somerset, Pennsylvania. He moved to Millersburg, Ohio with his family as a young boy. He studied law at Kenyon College in Ohio. He served as lieutenant of Company B, Fourth Ohio Regiment, in the Mexican War. He came to Iowa and started farming near Berwick. He married Ellen Lorah. He attempted to join the Union army during the Civil War; however, his previous war injuries prevented him from qualifying. Peter and Ellen retreated out to the Nebraska-Kansas-ColoradoTerritory in 1861 and took up residence at Gold Hill Settlement. While there Peter wrote to his brother Henry and his wife Tina that they were the "high fallutin delighted high popaloouma hail columbia star spangled yankee doodle pop and mom of one of the Ankeny." He wrote "I tell you he is one of us -- weighs 9 lbs clean meat without his harness. Well he is a pretty fair specimen for a green one." When the war was over and Peter and Ellen came back to Iowa and Ohio, there was no child. They never talked about the child again. Peter and Ellen lived and farmed north of Des Moines for many years. Peter was active in the Grange Society. They had five more children. In Peter's later years he moved to Ankona, Florida where his oldest brother, John Fletcher Ankeny, had started a pineapple plantation and bought land. Peter and Ellen's built a home in Florida and he became a pineapple and orange grower. Peter died on October 9, 1915. Peter and Ellen are buried in Glendale Cemetery in Des Moines, Iowa.
Ankona, Florida
Glendale Cemetery, Des Moines, Iowa
1-Peter Dewalt ANKENY (3 Feb 1826-9 Oct 1915)
+Ellen LORAH (Jan 1839-1935)
2-ANKENY (15 Jul 1861-)
2-Rose Bonnet ANKENY (8 Feb 1865-20 May 1934)
+Thomas Edgar LEWIS (14 Jun 1868-15 Nov 1940)
3-Elizabeth LEWIS (Mar 1893-)
+ROSENBERG (-)
3-Edna A LEWIS (Sep 1896-)
+Frank MARSHALL (1882-)
+ERSKINE (-)
2-Daisy ANKENY (Dec 1866-1967)
+Frank Owen GREEN (1862-23 Jun 1934)
3-Marjorie GREEN (26 Feb 1902-17 Sep 1991)
+Burton Forest BRISTOW (4 Oct 1899-31 May 1955)
4-John Barry BRISTOW (23 Feb 1927-3 May 1952)
4-Nancy Ankeny BRISTOW (1928-)
4-Elizabeth Hayes BRISTOW (1936-)
2-Mary Louise ANKENY (1869-1941)
+George Caleb BURNETT (1867-1948)
2-Paul Lorah ANKENY (10 Jun 1872-7 Oct 1965)
2-Mabel ANKENY (28 Mar 1879-13 Apr 1912)
+William Howard MATTHEWS (1881-)
3-Ellen Louise MATTHEWS (29 Mar 1908-)
+Ellen LORAH (Jan 1839-1935)
2-ANKENY (15 Jul 1861-)
2-Rose Bonnet ANKENY (8 Feb 1865-20 May 1934)
+Thomas Edgar LEWIS (14 Jun 1868-15 Nov 1940)
3-Elizabeth LEWIS (Mar 1893-)
+ROSENBERG (-)
3-Edna A LEWIS (Sep 1896-)
+Frank MARSHALL (1882-)
+ERSKINE (-)
2-Daisy ANKENY (Dec 1866-1967)
+Frank Owen GREEN (1862-23 Jun 1934)
3-Marjorie GREEN (26 Feb 1902-17 Sep 1991)
+Burton Forest BRISTOW (4 Oct 1899-31 May 1955)
4-John Barry BRISTOW (23 Feb 1927-3 May 1952)
4-Nancy Ankeny BRISTOW (1928-)
4-Elizabeth Hayes BRISTOW (1936-)
2-Mary Louise ANKENY (1869-1941)
+George Caleb BURNETT (1867-1948)
2-Paul Lorah ANKENY (10 Jun 1872-7 Oct 1965)
2-Mabel ANKENY (28 Mar 1879-13 Apr 1912)
+William Howard MATTHEWS (1881-)
3-Ellen Louise MATTHEWS (29 Mar 1908-)
The Legacy Peter Dewalt Ankeny
As of February 23, 2016 Peter had 13 (known) descendants: 6 children, 4 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.
Rose Bonnet Ankeny Lewis was educated at the State University of Iowa and received both a Bachelor's and a Master's Degree. She married Edgar Lewis and they moved to Florida in 1901 and made Florida their home. Her father, mother and brother were already living in Ankona, Florida. She worked for the Florida University Extension Department and was Superintendent of Schools for St Lucie County, Florida. She was a Regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Cora Stickney Harper Chapter. Rose is the only child of Peter and Ellen Ankeny buried in Florida - at Riverview Memorial Park, Fort Pierce. Peter, Ellen and their four other children are buried in Des Moines, Iowa.
Rose Bonnet Ankeny Lewis
Daisy Ankeny married Frank Owen Green. They lived in Des Moines their entire lives and are buried in the Masonic Cemetery in Des Moines. Mr. Green was a foundry and furnace manufacturing executive. In 1930 they were wealthy citizens with a home valued at $20,000 and live-in servants from Sweden. Daisy was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Daisy lived to be 101 years old.
Daisy Ankeny Green
Home of Daisy Ankeny and Frank Owen Green in Des Moines, Iowa
Mary Louise married George Burnett and they lived in Des Moines their whole lives. They had no children. Paul Lorah Ankeny was the only son of Peter and Ellen and he never married. He lived with his parents and worked in the pineapple and fruit growing business in Florida. He lived to be 95 years old and is buried near his parents in Glendale Cemetery, in Des Moines. Mabel married William Matthews and they lived in Dubuque and had one daughter. Mabel is buried in Glendale Cemetery.