C.H. Chaney, a representative citizen of Washington Township, and an ex-soldier of the late war, was born in Montgomery County, Missouri, October 12, 1845, a son of Samuel Chaney who was of Irish ancestry. The mother of our subject was Ellen (Parmer) Chaney, a native of Germany. Our subject was but eight years old when his father died in Montgomery County, Missouri, and his widow and six children moved to Scott County, Iowa. The mother died when C.H. was but ten years of age, and he was then reared on a farm in Scott County, by Jerry Hubbard.

During the late war he enlisted , May 1, 1864, in the Forty-fourth Iowa Infantry, Company I, Volunteers, and was out some four months. His regiment was stationed mostly at Memphis, Tennessee. After his discharge he enlisted in the Eighth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, Company C, and was under fire at Spanish Fort, and was honorably discharged at Mobile, Alabama. He then returned to Scott County, Iowa, where he resided until 1868, when he came to Western Iowa, first settling in Mills County. He remained in that county until 1883, when he came to Pottawattamie County and bought his present farm, which consisted of forty acres. It was partly broken, though there were no improvements of any kind on it; but it is now under a good state of cultivation and improvement.

Mr. Chaney was married in Bartlett, Fremont County, Iowa, in March, 1872, to Miss Helen Aitken, who was born in Pennsylvania, the daughter of David Aitken, of Fremont County. Mr. and Mrs. Chaney have four children: Walter Newton, Maggie Belle, Word and William Henry.

Politically Mr. Chaney is a Republican, and he and his wife are both members of the Evangelical Church, and both are workers in the Sabbath School.