Career
Forney was born in Holt County, Missouri, and came to South Dakota in 1889, settling at Hill City. He was a veteran of the Spanish–American War. He went into the farming and stock raising business at Oelrichs and was treasurer of Fall River County, South Dakota in 1905-1909.
He was a United States Commissioner from 1907 to 1917, and served in the state senate of the South Dakota Legislature from 1921 to 1925.
He was elected lieutenant governor in 1924.
