A minor Fortean—whose story nonetheless leads to an interesting Fortean nexus: a knot interrelating Forteanism and other cultural arenas.
We’re talking about Reider Thurston Sherwin. I have not been able to verify his life story before 1930—but there are clues, just not definitive facts. According to later records, Sherwin was born in Norway during the 1880s or so—various documents place his birth at 1884, 1888, and 1892. His first name was variously written as Richard, Reibar, Reidar, and Reider. He migrated to the United States around 1913—this according to a later census, I can find no contemporary documents—possibly with a sister (mentioned in his obituary) named Lily. Supposedly, he became naturalized—again according to a census, not contemporary documents—and served in the Great War—ditto.
On 19 June 1920, he married Josephine Hampel, daughter of a German immigrant father and American mother. Born in 1880—and therefore older than Reider, whatever his own birthdate—she was a teacher, chosen to serve on the Teacher’s Counsel just a few weeks before her wedding date. The couple do not seem to have had any children, which is not really surprising given that Josephine had just turned 40. The marriage record is the first documentation of Sherwin’s American life I can find. He and Josephine also appear in the 1925 New York census, where he is listed as a credit man. Josephine was still working as a teacher, indicating a degree of independence on her part. They were living in Jackson Heights, Queens county.
We’re talking about Reider Thurston Sherwin. I have not been able to verify his life story before 1930—but there are clues, just not definitive facts. According to later records, Sherwin was born in Norway during the 1880s or so—various documents place his birth at 1884, 1888, and 1892. His first name was variously written as Richard, Reibar, Reidar, and Reider. He migrated to the United States around 1913—this according to a later census, I can find no contemporary documents—possibly with a sister (mentioned in his obituary) named Lily. Supposedly, he became naturalized—again according to a census, not contemporary documents—and served in the Great War—ditto.
On 19 June 1920, he married Josephine Hampel, daughter of a German immigrant father and American mother. Born in 1880—and therefore older than Reider, whatever his own birthdate—she was a teacher, chosen to serve on the Teacher’s Counsel just a few weeks before her wedding date. The couple do not seem to have had any children, which is not really surprising given that Josephine had just turned 40. The marriage record is the first documentation of Sherwin’s American life I can find. He and Josephine also appear in the 1925 New York census, where he is listed as a credit man. Josephine was still working as a teacher, indicating a degree of independence on her part. They were living in Jackson Heights, Queens county.