Joyce Marie (Ballard) Sherman

Joyce Marie Ballard Sherman, 88 passed away peacefully in her home Friday, February

28, 2025 surrounded by loving family.

Born April 21, 1936 in Dryden NY to the late Faye E. Ballard and Pauline (Schofield)

Ballard. She graduated from Dryden High School in 1954. Attended Business school in

Syracuse and worked at GLF in Dryden for a short time.

She married Carl L. Sherman on December 22, 1955. They spent 2 years in Yuma,

Arizona where Carl, a draftsman with the US Air Force, was stationed until 1957. When

they returned to Virgil NY, where they bought Carl’s father’s dairy farm and ran it for the

next 30 years. Joyce was a farmer’s wife, raising their 3 girls and son. She kept busy

cooking, baking, sewing many of the girls clothes, the basket beside her chair often had

a couple of projects, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, or needlepoint she did them all!

She had a large garden every summer providing vegetables which she canned or froze

for winter. She spent many hours “taxi-ing” the kids to swimming lessons, piano

lessons, various clubs, pee wee football etc. always with a book to read in the car.

She was a participant in the “Ladies Home Bureau” and took as well as taught several

Cooperative Extension classes.

A lifelong member of Dryden Grange, she was enlisted to assist the NY State Grange

with mailing the Grange paper every month from the mid 70’s until she moved to Florida

in December of 2017. She also worked with the Grange whenever they needed an extra

helper. From preparing and serving meals to helping administrative tasks, she could be

counted on to step in.

She moved to Bradenton, FL in 2017 close to her son Gary and daughters Laura, & Lois,

and had a trailer in Chateau Village where she enjoyed Bingo, cards, and her ladies

club luncheons and outings. In 2023 she moved in with Lois.

She is survived by her daughters Laura Bernhardt of Bradenton, FL; Luanne (Gary)

Swanson of Slate Hill, NY; and Lois Fletcher of Bradenton, FL; Eleven Grandchildren; 8

Great Grandchildren; several Nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, she is

predeceased by her Husband Carl Sherman; Son, Gary Sherman: and Sister, Janice

Button.

Services will be at Perkins Funeral Home, 55 W. Main St., Dryden on Friday, March 7, 2025

with visitation starting at 3 pm followed by a service at 4 pm. Burial will be at a later date in Virgil Rural Cemetery.

In Lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Virgil Rural Cemetery c/o

Sue Connelly, 1041 Church St Cortland NY 13045.