THE STEHMANS IN AMERICA
During the early 18th Century, a number of Stehmans immigrated to America. Stehman is one of several German names derived from the German word for "stone," possibly identifying the original Stehman as a stone worker or mason. "Stehman" was often Anglicized upon arrival in America and appears in some early records as both "Stoneman" and "Stone." Also, through the years the spelling may have been simplified to or misspelled as "Steman," "Stemen," "Steinman," "Stayman," and "Stoneman" by record- keepers and/or the families themselves (there may also be other variations of the name not shown here that one could encounter while researching the genealogy).
The family tree compiled by A. W. Shertz et. al. (supported by other documentation) breaks down the genealogy of Stehmans in America into four distinct lines:
1. The descendants of Joseph and Christian Stehman (Stoneman) with
surnames including STEHMAN, STAMAN, STAYMAN, STEMAN, and STEMEN.
2. The descendants of John Stehman and his wife, Susan Lichty Stehman (surname STEHMAN).
3. The descendants of Johannes (John/Hans) Stehman and his wife, Maria Brenneman Stehman, with surnames including STEHMAN, STAMY, STAYMAN.
4. The descendants of the "Immigrant of 1733" (surname STEHMAN).
Emerson V. Stehman Jr.'s research on the descendants of John and Susan Lichty Stehman suggests that "John may have been the only son of Christian and Elizabeth Herr Stehman of Manor Twp., Lancaster County but there is at present no official documentation of this."
Some genealogical studies indicated that Johannes may have been the son of either Christian or Joseph Stoneman. Particularly,
The Brenneman History by Albert H. Gerberich indicates that Maria married Hans (Johannes, John ?) Stehman, "said to have been a son of Christian Stehman (Stoneman)." However, Hans and Maria resided in Donegal, not Manor Township, until his death in 1785. Further, the research of Horace L. Haldeman and John M. Stehman concludes that he is probably not the son of either Stoneman. It is suggested instead that, perhaps, Johannes was one of the Stehmans known to immigrate to the New World in the 1730's. If that is in fact the case, Johannes and his descendants would not be descended from Joseph and Christian Stoneman, although an Old World relationship of their respective families cannot be precluded. In his research A. W. Shertz includes Johannes (John) as a possible descendant of the "Immigrant of 1733."