Ralph
Sherman was born circa 1890. He was the son of
John E. Sherman and
Harriet A. Root. Ralph Sherman married an unknown person.
Ralph Sherman was not the son of John Sherman. It is believed that his father was Clarence Sherman. The problem is identitifying which Clarence Sherman. There was a Clarence Sherman and wife Minnie Rifenberg. I haven't found much about them yet. Perhaps further investigation of Pittstown, NY history will yield the answer. The aforementioned Clarence was the son of Israel Sherman and Nancy Link (cemetery reference says Nancy Filk). Israel was born 1804 and died 1876 and is likely descended from Caleb Shearman and Sarah Anthony.
Israel & Nancy had 1. Edith, she married1st ____Piser, 2nd Arthur Berenstuhl, 2. Eveline, married ______Bonesteel, 3. Sarah 1847-1849, 4. Edgar, born about 1854 and died 7/24/1870 5. *Clarence, married Minnie Rifenberg, 6. Emma 1861-1913, married Calvin Edgar Carpenter (she is buried in Woodlands cem., Cambridge, Wash. Co., NY), 7. Nellie.
*There is a Clarence Sherman in the 1880 census. He show up in Pittstown as a servent in the home of
Isaac Foster. That Clarence Sherman was 15 years old and would have been born about 1865. If he was indeed the same Clarence and s/o Israel the birth order I have for Israel's children is in error.
1951Obit from Schenectady newspaper (with minor edits)
Mrs. Van Vechten Dies at Age of 70
Mrs. Nettie Sherman Van Vechten, 70, of 28 Swan St., widow of Alvin Van Vechten, died this morning at City hospital after a long illness,
Born in Millerton, N.Y., Mrs. Van Vechten had lived in Schenectady 39 years.
Survivors are one son, Walter S. Van Vechten; and two daughters, Mrs. William R. Newman and Mrs. William H. Stoddard (Sr.), all of Schenectady; one brother, Ralph Sherman of Thurmond, Md., and seven grandchildren.
Note - reference to Ralph Sherman as a brother may be misleading. Ralph was probably the son of Clarence Sherman and adopted by Nettie's mother and stepfather Germond Cross. I do have a photo of him with Ralph as a toddler. I can not find any certain reference to Clarence Sherman as a relative of Nettie's father John. Clarence would most likely have born about 1860-1875.