Hello, Thanks for responding.... This can possibly get very complicated and interesting depending on Which David Istman, Istmann, Eastman born in the 1820's we are talking about. There are 2 distinct family groups from the same area of PA. One group from Northumberland County and the other from Carbon/Lehigh County who may be related, but I have been unable as of yet to positively make that connection and it will probably call for DNA analysis to conclude that......Sorry if I ramble but I will do my best to give what information I have on the issue and what my theories are about how they got out to Iowa...Lets first discuss David Istman b.1828 who is a son of David Istman b.1798 and Catherine Rauch, Rauchcolp, Rough, Raugh?? ( This family is of German Ancestry according to all evidences)...This David Istman b.1828 is a brother to Bernard Benjamin Ishman b. 1824, Frederich Ishman b.1826, and several other brothers and sisters... I know a little information about him from the Biography of Benjamin Ishman, but was unable yet to determine if he was married or had any children.. (Probably because I was unaware that he went by the surname Eastman in Iowa rather than his brother Benjamin's family who went by Ishman)... So if this is the correct David Istman then maybe you can also help me fill in some blanks if he does have Eastman decendents in Iowa today!!! This is what I know about it all.. David Istman b.1828 apparently made his way to Minnesota with brother Frederich by 1857 (as they are found on a census there living next to each other).. Meanwhile Benjamin Ishman was on his way from PA. to Iowa to farm on what I believe was his Uncle and bachelor Moses Ishmans' b.1803 land grant near Blackhawk Iowa. (I have found some paperwork which suggests this...Also Moses lived with the family of his brother David b.1798 in Jefferson County PA. and eventually died there.. I believe he either gave or sold his nephew Benjamin his land grant in Iowa.... Anyway, David moved to Iowa with Frederich sometime after Benjamin arrived there.. David b.1828 joined a Civil War Union Volunteer Unit from Iowa in 1861 and was badly wounded at the battle of Blue Mills Mississippi and was discharged..Later, David, Fred, and Benjamin joined an Iowa Cavalry unit during the Indian Wars. David was killed along with Fred at the battle of Julesburg Colorado on Jan 7, 1865... ( Benjamin survived but was badly wounded at same battle..)
Now.. Lets discuss the other Istmann Family from Lehigh / Carbon county PA.. I have always believed that they may be related.. They appear to live in German communities, attend German Churches and marry German women.. the difference being that the earliest Istmans, Istmanns from this branch are often listed as Mulattos and later all become "white" .They also use the name Eastman exclusively from the 1860's onward as where the other line uses "Ishman" from the 1860's until now... This is the other "David Istman"
:Records from Egypt Reformed Church Lehigh County PA.
ISTMANN, DAVID, son of. Daniel Istmann and w. Sophia; b.
May 20, 1823 bap. Aug. 10, 1823 sp. Henrich Muehlhausen and w. Anna
Kunigunda.
I have tried to find decendants from this line to also do DNA testing to determine if we all share a common male ancestor sometime in the mid/late 1700's but as of yet no one has stepped forward.. It seems that it would be such an unlikely coincidence that an "Istman, Eastman from the Carbon/Lehigh county branch would end up in the exact same county in Iowa around the exact same time as my line of Ishmans, Istmans from Northumberland County??? But never say never I guess?? I guess this boils down to determining for sure if your son-in-laws ancestor David is from the Northumberland "Ishman" branch or the possibly related / unrelated branch of Eastmans from Lehigh/Carbon county PA..????
Please forward this information to your son-in-law and also let me know any information about his family tree.. If your son-in-law is related to the first branch from northumberland county then I am related to him also through David b.1798's brother named Joseph b.1807.. I also have the Biography of Benjamin Ishman which has info. about David b.1828...
Hope to hear back from you.. Thanks! Galen Ishman