DFA Most Wanted is a weekly spotlight on one specific Dillman family group with no representation yet in the Dillman DNA Project — who they were, what’s still unknown, and what a single Y-DNA test could resolve. Know this family, or think you might be connected? Read on.

Family Group 23: The Dielmanns of Hellenhahn, Nassau, Germany

Brothers J.C. and Johann Peter Dielmann, sons of Jacob Dielmann of Hellenhahn, Nassau, emigrated together in May 1871 (some surviving indexes show 1872 instead, and the discrepancy has never been resolved). The brothers’ paths split on arrival: J.C. settled in San Antonio, Texas, while Johann settled in New Orleans, Louisiana.

What’s Unresolved

Beyond the exact immigration year, no DNA testing has been done from either the Texas or Louisiana branch of this family, so there’s no way yet to connect this Hellenhahn line to any of the DFA’s other documented Nassau-area families.

What a Test Could Answer

A Y-DNA test from a descendant of either J.C. or Johann Dielmann could connect this family to other tested Nassau-origin lines already in the DFA’s records, and would represent the first genetic data from either branch.

Are You Connected?

If you’re a male-line descendant of J.C. Dielmann of San Antonio or Johann Dielmann of New Orleans, the DFA would like to hear from you. Contact the DNA project administrator at dnaprojectadmin@dillmanfamilyassociation.org to get connected and learn about testing.

This spotlight is drawn from the Dillman Family Association’s Family Group Sheet Database and written with the assistance of Claude, an AI assistant developed by Anthropic.