Dillman Family Association Library and Archive
History
The Dillman Family Association Library was started by a DFA member before the birth of the DFA in 2002. It originally consisted of 3-ring binders filled with information and photos of his ancestors and their siblings. There were also binders with information for other Dillmans that he couldn’t connect to his own family. It was hoped that he could link them up one day.
The Library’s collection has grown dramatically as the DFA continues to gather information through the efforts of the members. Additional growth comes from the increasing amount of information available on the Internet and, of course, the Dillman DNA Project. There are currently over 60 large binders in the collection with half of those covering the Conrad/Hans George Dillmann Group. Many of the other binders cover some of the many other Dillman families that have been identified through the Dillman DNA project.
The Collection
In addition to the Dillman Families binders, the collection also has quite a few books. Some were written by a Dillman about their hobby or passion or some educational text books. Others are written about a Dillman in the form of a biography. There are even some fiction books that include characters with the name of Dillman.
Newspaper and magazine articles are always welcome additions to the collection. Many have been recently added from the Internet. There are also many photos of people, places, and headstones that have been collected from members of different Dillman families. There are also several audio recordings and CDs with interviews of Dillman researchers, and audio media from musicians or groups with a Dillman connection. These recordings remain part of the active collection and are accessible to members at the Dillman Genealogical Conference held every two years.
The collection also hosts a number of Dillman-related collectibles. Some are advertising items from various Dillman-named businesses. There is also artwork by Dillman artists, family crests, employment name tags, and reproduction maps and plat books containing Dillman property records.
The DFA prides itself in their effort to gather and share information with others researching their Dillman family ancestors. Most of the contents of the DFA Library travel to each Dillman Genealogical Conference, with the last one in August 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. The collection will be at the next Conference in August 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Members are welcome to browse and access the library collection at each conference. Donations of Dillman-related materials are also gratefully accepted – please bring any items you wish to contribute to the next Dillman Genealogical Conference.