My ancestor, Johan Wilhelm (John William) BLOHM, was born in Drochtersen, Kingdom of Hanover, on Jan. 18, 1820. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1846, landing in New Orleans and making his way to Cass Co., IL, where he raised his family.
Recently I've learned through the state archives in the district of Stade that his parents were Mathias BLOHM and his wife Johanne, born EHLERS. Mathias was a distiller in Drochtersen.
From old family letters (1860's to 1920), it's clear that Johan Wilhelm had a brother, August Blohm, and several sisters (Dorette, Lotte, and Trinchen) who remained in Germany. Another sister, Johanna, married Robert SCHMOLDT in 1852 in Hamburg, and this couple later joined William in Illinois.
Would love to contact others working on this family.