The earliest record of this family in the Mohawk Valley, or in America, is of Jan Janse Vanarnheim, of Holland, who married Hester Fonda, Oct. 14, 1696, in Rennsselaerwyck. He died April 1, 1708.
Children, baptized:
Sarah, Aug. 15, 1697.
Abraham, April 28, 1700.
Rebecca, March 25, 1702.
Isaac, May 7, 1704.
Rachel, Nov. 17, 1706.
Jan Dirk, Oct. 17, 1708.
The spelling in this generation seems to have been Van Arnhem, but later was usually spelled Van Aernam, to which form this record will be confined.

(II) Jan Dirk, youngest son and child of Jan Janse and Hester (Fonda) Van Aernam, was baptized Oct. 17, 1708. He married Elizabeth Lansing, a descendant of Gerrit Lansing, "the Founder."
Children, baptized:
Hester, Feb. 14, 1735.
Hendrick, July 2, 1738.
Abraham, Sept. 28, 1740.
Isaac, Feb. 26, 1744; died in infancy.
Isaac Janse, Aug. 25, 1745.
Abram, Nov. 19, 1749.

(III) Isaac Janse, son of Jan Dirk and Elizabeth (Lansing) Van Aernam, was baptized Aug. 25, 1745. He married, Aug. 24, 1768, Catherine Van Wie.
Children:
Alida, born Oct. 9, 1769, died in infancy.
Alida (2), born April 18, 1771, died in infancy.
Alida (3), born July 5, 1776.
Jan Dirksen, Jan. 30, 1779.
Andries, born Aug. 18, 1791.

(IV) Jan D. (John), son of Isaac and Catherine (Van Wie) Van Aernam, was born Jan. 30, 1779, in Albany county, N.Y. He married Polly Crouse, and had issue.

(V) William C., son of John and Polly (Crouse) Van Aernam, was born June 27, 1810, in Columbia county, N.Y., died June 14, 1906, aged ninety-six years. He settled in Lewis county, N.Y. in 1829. He owned a farm of three hundred acres, and was a millwright and lumberman. He was assessor and prominent in town affairs.
He married (first) Mary Sand.
Children:
1. Isaac, born Jan. 18, 1836, died in infancy.
2. Mary Catherine, born Aug. 27, 1838; married, Sept. 17, 1862, Wessel Gallup.
3. John Henry, see forward.
4. Mary S., born June 10, 1843; married George Delmorah;
Married (second) Lida Ann Gould, and had issue:
5. Ann S., born Sept. 28, 184[last digit blurry], died Dec. 24, 1900; married George A. Graves.
6. Christopher, born Sept. 24, 1846; married Josephine Graves.
7. William J., born May 14, 1848.
8. Archibald W., born June 20, 1849; married Ella Norton.
9. Ellen M., born Aug. 13, 1852; married Lafayette Turner.
10. Grace A., born March 31, 1854; married Frank Warren.
11. George C., born Sept. 23, 1855.
12. Agnes A., born Oct. 28, 1857; married Horace Miller.

(VI) John H., son of William C. and his first wife, Mary (Sand) Van Aernam, was born in the town of Greig, Lewis county, N.Y., Oct. 7, 1837. He was educated in the public schools and was reared on the farm. His inclinations were strongly for a business life, and he left the farm and entered the employ of the Hartford Sewing Machine Company, and was so successful that he was made general agent for Northern New York, and for several years continued in that position. He was also interested in real estate, wild and imporved, buying and selling a great many properties. He was for a time in mercantile life in the village of Glenfield, where he had built a large business block and had real estate interests. He prospered in his varied undertakings. In 1898 he disposed of his Glenfield interests and with his family went south, settling at Fitzgerald, Georgia. He purchased a farm there which he cultivated, and in addition dealt in real estate. He remained in the south until 1907, when failing health cause his return to his northern home in Glenfield, where he died, Jan 9, 1908.
He led a busy, useful and eventful life. He fought and won life's battles through sheer energy and perseverance, couples with a fine, well-balanced business judgment.
He was a Republican in politics and a member of the Methodist church.
He married, March 27, 1861, Zada A. Smith, born Nov. 7, 1843, daughter of George R. and Martha (Bowen) Smith, and granddaughter of Benjamin and Lucy (Beebe) Smith, who came to Lewis county from Columbia county, N.Y. in 1836. George R. Smith was born at Chatham, Columbia county, N.Y. Jan. 9, 1812, and came to Lewis county with his parents in 1836. He married, Feb. 14, 1838, Martha Bowen, died March 13, 1892. They settled in the town of Martinsburgh, where George R. died Jan. 22, 1902. Children of George R. and Martha (Bowen) Smith: 1. Lucy Ann, born Aug. 14, 1839, died July 27, 1872; married J. Frank Graves, Sept. 9, 1863. 2. Zada A., married John H. Van Aernam. 3. Charlotte, born April 21, 1847; married N. J. Corwin, July 4, 1876, died June, 1902. 4. Seymour, born Aug. 17, 1848, died July 28, 1860. 5. Celestine, born Aug. 17, 1848, died Sept. 19, 1861.

Children of John H. and Zada A. (Smith) Van Aernam:
1. Frederick E., see forward.
2. George W., born July 30, 1863; married Jan. 22, 1884, Rose Connell, of Des Moines, Iowa.
3. Jennie M., born July 30, 1865; married Aug. 29, 1892, Wallace Casler; they reside in Lubback, Texas.
4. Grant W., born March 29, 1891; married Emma Wombolt, Oct. 12, 1891; they reside at Dayton, Ohio.
5. Jessie F., born May 29, 1874; married, April 7, 1897, Charles Millington.
6. Gertrude J., born Jan. 22, 1876; married Henry Bryn, Aug. 4, 1898; they reside in Lubback, Texas.
7. Frank, born May 23, 1879; married Paphia Rugar; they reside at Cincinnati, Ohio.
8. Reba, born Aug. 17, 1888.

(VII) Frederick E. Vanaernam, son of John H. and Zada A. (Smith) Van Aernam, was born in the town of Greig, Lewis county, N.Y., Feb. 8, 1862. He was educated in the public schools, and first began business life in his father's store in Glenfield, where he remained five years. Mercantile life was not congenial, and he resigned his position in the store. He purchased a good farm in Glenfield, and has ever since followed the occupation of a farmer, a calling to which he is devoted and well adapted. He conducts his farm as a fruit and dairy enterprise, with some space devoted to market gardening. His herd are graded Holsteins, and his farm, pleasantly located within full view of the Adirondack foothills, is known as "Smith's Farm." Mr. Vanaernam is painstaking and through in his methods, and has made a success of his undertaking.
He is a strong Republican in politics, and a member of Glenfield Grange, P. of H., also of Lewis county and State granges. He is financial secretary of Glenfield court, Independent Order of Foresters, and with his family attends the Methodist Episcopal church.
He married, Feb. 26, 1885, Mary C. Hess, born Nov. 30, 1865, at Glenfield, daughter of Frederick and Catherine (Burdick) Hess, and a granddaughter of Conrad and Lena (Strong) Hess.
Children:
1. Walla, born Feb. 14, 1886, died in infancy.
2. Edith J., born Dec. 19, 1888; married Sept. 25, 1908, Duncan E. Pidgeon, and has Frederick W. Pidgeton, born Jan. 28, 1909. They also have an adopted son, Clarence M., born May 22, 1903.

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