Van Etten - Vannatta in Harmony Family Reunion

The 1st Annual family reunion of the Van Etten - Vannatta family in Harmony Township, NJ will be held April 25, 10 am to 5 pm at the Harmony Recreational Pavilion just opposite the Van Nest - Hoff - Vannatta Farmstead. The momentum had been growing towards a formal reunion with every Open House of the Van Nest - Hoff - Vannatta Farmstead in the past few years. More and more Vannatta descendants would come to see the New Jersey owned state landmark which bears the Vannatta family name. With the largest showing last year, William S. Van Natta lead the charge to organize a formal reunion. The farmstead was once owned by a William M. Vannatta and his family for 104 years, longer than any other previous owners. So the location as well as the long history of the family in Warren and previously Sussex County has special significance for the family. New Jersey was also where the family name became anglicized to Vanatta, Van Atta, Vannatta, Van Natta, Van Natten and other various spellings. When Jacob Jansen came to New Netherland in the mid 1600’s his family took the surname of Von Etten from which they came from. Within a generation the family began to move about the then British captured colony. Some settling in Central New Jersey, this would be one location of the family’s foot note to history. The family would have ties to what would later become Queens College and later in time with connections to towns in upstate New York and even Mid Western Newspapers. William Van Natta has received notice from family members from Arizona, California, Michigan, New York, and Ohio of their intent to come. So for a first time reunion the gathering looks to be successful one. The family values history and the saving of landmarks and records. The family intends to create a fund to help various Historical Society’s, the Warren County Historical and Genealogical Society in Belvidere, NJ will be the first recipient of the effort, with other projects in sight for subsequent years. T shirts, lapel buttons and lunch will be in store for attendees as well as a New Van Etten timeline video to be shown that day. For more information contact William at bsv131@yahoo.com.