There is no group of surnames which holds interest for more of our subscribers thanthese five. The family history by Maxine Funk has significant information on these families, andthe Blehm name turns up in the Ehrlich books and the book by Miller. However much of ourinformation is very sketchy and occasionally contradictory. Therefore, we ask anyone who hasinformation on members of this group to send it in so that we may add it to what we have.
Marie Kilbert is the daughter of Eva Margaret Weinbender Schick who supplied much ofthe information for the Funk book. Mrs. Schick was the great grand-daughter of Eva KatherineBlahm (1798-1878) and her second husband, Johnathan Christian Schick (1795-1845) EvaKatherine Blahm's first husband was John Frederick Oblander (abt 1795 -bef 1841) Eva K. Blahm had a brother Jacob who married a Rieffel. He had five children: Georgem. Schmuck; Godfried m. Ehrlich; Fritz m. Long; Christina m. Wassimiller, and Eva Elizabethm. ?It is thought that Eva Katherine Blahm and her brother, Jacob, came with their parents fromSchleswig Holstein or West Prussia to Russia in about 1815 when she was 17 years old.
Marie Schick Kilbert was born in Galka 12 Oct 1912. She came to America with herparents David George Schick (1885 - 1961) and Eva Margaret Weinbender Schick (1888 - 1967)and her two brothers, Jacob and David, when she was 7 or 8 months old. They stayed with agreat aunt and uncle Oblander on their Kansas farm for several months before settling inHastings, Nebraska. When Maria was 7 years old in 1919, they moved to Chicago and lived onthe northwest side near Humboldt Park. Their address was 2470 Lemoyne St. She met HerbKilbert in Chicago where they attended the same school and the Lutheran Church on HomanAvenue. They were married on 26 Nov 1938.
In 1993, Maria Kilbert started corresponding with George Schick (b. 18 Sep 1905) a halfbrother living in Tyumen. Russia. She is translating the letters from German and sending themto Gary Schulz. They are working with Ruby Smith to fill in more information on the family.
Mary Lou Huckaby has sent a copy of a letter written by John George Oblander, Chicago, Ill, on 30 July 1947, and a draft family chart on Oblanders. Herinformation goes back to a Johan Frederick Oblander called "Dan" (1795 - 1840) married to EvaKatherine Blahm. There are two sons, Jacob and Christoff who had flour mills in Muehlberg(Shcherbakovka) There were four more brothers. We think this may be part of the same family,but more information is needed.
The letter-- written by the father of a cousin of Mary Lou's-- traces branches of the familyto the Okeene, OK. area,to Wichita and Wellington, KS. to Canada, and Windsor, CO.The J. G.Oblander family immigrated to the United States in 1900/1901. An exit visa from Russia is dated31 Oct 1900. They were quarantined at Ellis Island for three months, where some of the childrendied, namely Frederich and Heinrich, who were half brothers. They later took a ship toGalveston, TX, where they officially entered the U. S.
J. G. Oblander and some of his family converted to the Seventh Day Adventist religion.Conrad Oblander reportedly changed his name to Elmer Finley. Members of the family wereliving in the Villages of Avilla and Erlenbach before emigrating.
J. G. Oblander, writer of the letter, was born 16 April 1884 (Apr. 28, new calendar) inAvilla. His father was George Oblander, and mother was Kathryn Elizabeth Lochmann.of thevillage of Stephan. His letter is filled with familiar names including: Blehm, Frederich Laubhan,Gotlieb Schaffer, Kathryn Kerbs, Kathryn Becker-Schonfeld, Albert Peach, John Ruhl,David Nuss, Henry Marxsen, Eva Winter, Gottfried Winter, son of Leonhard; Fred Mier,Reinhardt Nuss.