This family is of Hollandish origin, and the name was originally spelled without the final "e" - Van Name. It is of early settlement on Staten Island, N.Y. The immigrant was Evert Van Name, who married Wyntie Benham, and they had a son, Joseph, baptized April 22, 1709.

(I) Simon Van Name, a brother of Evert, is he with whom the present line begins. He married Sarah Prall, and their children were Aaron and Moses.

(II) Aaron, son of Simon Van Name, was born Aug. 17, 1718; he married Mary McLean, and their children were Aaron, Simon, William, Ann, Moses and Charles.

(III) Simon, son of Aaron Van Namee (as the name now appears), was enumerated in the federal census of 1790. The name of his wife does not appear, but he had in his family five males and two females.

(IV) Stephen, son of Simon Van Namee, was born in Norway, Herkimer county, N.Y., June 16, 1777, and died April 13, 1842.
He married Sarah Cushman, who was born in Herkimer county, March 18, 1779, and died June 14, 1855.
Children, born in Norway:
1. Simon, March 17, 1798; died April 29, 1883.
2. Savilla, Feb. 23, 1800; died in 1849.
3. Jemima, born Jan. 14, 1802.
4. Stephen, Nov. 1, 1803; died Jan. 17, 1887.
5. Sidney Monteville, mentioned below.
6. Amanda, Aug. 20, 1807; died April 8, 1880.
7. John, Sept. 23, 1809; died May 23, 1890.
8. Berthena, born Dec. 9, 1811.
9. William, Jan. 26, 1814.
10. Richard, April 9, 1816; died Oct. 22, 1889.
11. James, May 6, 1821; died Jan. 17, 1910.

(V) Sidney Monteville, son of Stephen Van Namee, was born at Norway, N.Y. April 24, 1806, and died in Lowville, N.Y., Feb. 19, 1891. He had a common school education. He was for many years a hotel proprietor at Houseville and Lowville, N.Y.
In politics he was a staunch old-line Democrat of the Jeffersonian school, and personally was a hotel landlord of the good old type, with a wholesome pride in his establishment and the maintenance of its reputation. His children were brought up in the ways of good society, were well educated, and became useful and honored citizens.
He married, Feb. 23, 1845, Effie Ann Bowman, born at Lowville, Dec. 7, 1821, died there April 5, 1896, daughter of John Bowman, born in 1779, died Nov. 6, 1832, and whose wife was born in 1780 and died March 3, 1825.
Children of Sidney Monteville Van Namee:
Sidney Monteville (2), born Dec. 26, 1845.
Mary Emogene, Jan. 14, 1848.
Robert Mortimer, Nov. 9, 1853.
Richard Adelbert, of whom further.

(VI) Richard Adelbert, son of Sidney Monteville Van Namee, was born in Houseville, N.Y., Dec. 10, 1857. He was educated in the common schools of Lowville, N.Y., and the Lowville Academy. He entered the employ of the Journal and Republican, Lowville, on Aug. 19, 1872, at the age of fifteen years, as an apprentice. At that time Amos V. Smiley was editor and proprietor, and he, dying in 1878, was succeeded by Henry A. Phillips. In eight years Mr. Van Namee had risen to foremanship of the office. Two years later, in 1882, he became local editor, and has continued in this all-important position to the present time, being one of the few "all-rounders" to be found in newspaper establishments of the present (1910) day. When he came to the paper, it was a four-page eight-column folio sheet, with a subscription list of 1,600. Today it is an eight-page seven-column quarto, ranking among the best and most influential weekly journals in the state, and enjoying a circulation of four thousand copies. During his thirty-eight years connection with it, Mr. Van Namee has given to the business honest and concientious effort, and he points with pride to the results of well-directed efforts to which he has contributed his full part.

"Clean journalism, and all the news worth printing," has always been his motto, and in his lifework he has always strenuously battled for the uplifting and purifying of home and society and for the advancement of the business interests of the community. He is a graceful and versatile writer, and enjoys an enviable reputation in the newspaper world.
In connection with his work on the Journal and Republican, Mr. Van Namee served for eighteen years as special correspondent of the Utica Morning Herald, and has also represented the Utica Daily Press, Utica Daily Observer, Syracuse Herald and Watertown Times.
For the past twenty years he has been the Lewis county representative of the Associated Press.

Although brought up under Democratic influences, his father and all near relatives being of that party, Mr. Van Namee thought out for himself the political problems of his day, and when he attained his majority, cast his initial vote for the Republican candidate for the presidency, James A. Garfield, and four years later, during the memorable Blain and Logan campaign, he was secretary of the Blaine and Logan Club of Lowville. He has represented his town in various county conventions, and has always labored zealously for party success in many hard-fought campaigns, but has never aspired to public office. He was one of the organizers of the Lowville Free Library Association, and has been a member of the board of directors from the date of organization, and also treasurer. He is secretary of the Lowville Chamber of Commerce, and a charter member of the Lowville Club.
He is a communicant and vestryman of Trinity Episcopal Church. His newspaper training has made him a citizen of unusual value to the community, and his long experience has made him a veritable mine of local history and knowledge of men and events.

He married, in Lowville, Sept. 7, 1904, Gertrude Evelyn Brown, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Feb. 23, 1882, daughter of Edgar Brainard and Ada (Bud) Brown. Her father was a merchant and inventor, a civil war soldier, serving in the 94th Regiment, New York Infantry Volunteers, enlisting as a private, taking part in the first battle of Bull Run, and ranking as corporal when mustered out of service.
Mr. and Mrs. Van Namee have no children.

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