Born in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Ostrander taught school and then worked in a general store.

[1][2] Russell Cowles Ostrander married Zay Dora Parker in on 8th May, 1878.

Russell was eldest son of Simon Ostrander (1810-1881) and Ellen Gardner Cowles (1826-1886).

Simon was son of Petrus Ostrander (1769-1851) He married Hannah Acker (1777-1866).

Russell's ancestry can be traced back to Kingston, NY, where Rebecca Traphagen married Pieter Ostrander in 1679.