Arunah Ward was the son of Charles Ward, and his wife Lydia King. According to Cutter's Genealogy of Western NY Volume 1, he was born into family as it travelled from their home in Poultney, VT to western NY on 30 Sept. 1820.
Information on his parents follows:
Charles Ward was the youngest child of Judge William Ward, and his wife Lucy Church. He was born in Poultney VT on 3 January, 1792, and lived in Vermont until manhood. On 11 Sept 1814, he married Lydia King. Lydia was born in Middletown VT, on 12 Dec 1791. Her father was Theodore King, of CT, an early settler of Vermont.
In 1820, Lydia and Charles set out with their 2 oldest sons, Verres and Pherson, and traveled until they reached Steuben County in NY.
In 1821, they continued their journey until they reached Great Valley in Cattaraugus County, where they had purchased 100 acres of land from the Holland Land Company, on which he resided until 1845, when he moved to Rochester, WI. It was while at WI, that he lost his wife, and 2 sons; Steena (1825-1846), and King (1828-1847). Disheartened, he returned home to Great Valley in 1849, where he died and is buried in the Willoughby cemetery.
Arunah, meanwhile, grew up in Cattaraugus County, attending public schools there, and at Springville Academy. He was a farmer in early life, while he studied and prepared to enter the profession of law. He disposed of his farm (was this the farm that was sold by Arunah Ward to my great grandparents?), and in 1863 was admitted to the NY bar and began to practice law.
In 1865, he was elected surrogate of Cattaraugus county, and played an important role in county affairs from then on. During the War of the Rebellion, he was the enrolling officer. He was also Justice of the Peace, Superintendent of the poor, assessor, and examiner on the board of education. When the new school building went up in Great Valley, it was through his personal efforts and influence, as many in the town opposed it. He was a deacon in the Baptist church, a Republican and active in both church and party activities.
On 15 Sept, 1852, he married Jane Ann Palmer. Jane was from Burton (now called Allegany), NY. She was born on 28 Apr 1833, and at the age of 3, she moved with her parents to the Burton area. Their children were:
- Alice (b. 21 Jun 1853)
- Frank Palmer (died at the age of 3)
- Katherine Lydia (8 Sep 1857) ***
- John King (b. 20 Nov 1859)
- Charles Wilkes (b. 16 Sep 1861)
- Persis Nelson (b. Jun 1873)
- Ralph (29 Jan, 1865 - 19 Sep, 1898)
- George Spencer (b. 9 Sep 1875)
Information found p.242 of Cutter's Volume 1, Genealogy of Western NY.
Note: As I do research in Cattaraugus County, I find many mentions of Arunah Ward. He shows up as census enumerator, and also as a witness to the will of my 4th great grandfather, Delpha Harris. This took place in McKean county, Pennsylvania in 1884. and both Arunah and his brother Pherson act as witnesses.
Note: Arunah Ward strikes again. I just received my 3rd ggrandfather, Joseph Bay's pension record, and Arunah appears in it twice, once as his attorney and was as a representative of the government.