Anna Blank (fl. 1770)

Anna Blank (Plank) Hochstetler

fl. 1770 – ?

Christopher’s 6th great-grandmother · ancestor no. 441 · generation 9
Evidence: identity compiled lead · link to parents compiled lead

Family

• Parents: Hans Blank (arr. 1751)
• Spouse: Joseph Hochstetler (c.1746–1812)
• Family notes: Joseph Hochstetler + Anna Blank (m. unknown)
• Children in this vault: John Hostetler (d. 1807)

Life and evidence

Joseph’s wife; daughter of ‘Dr. Hans’ Blank (Mast book footnote: ‘Hans Blank, who arrived at Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. 4, 1751, on ship Queen of Denmark’); mother Magdalena (Ziegler?). Born in Switzerland. Hochstättler notes the Blanck–Hochstetler ties at Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines (Nigi and Michel Blanck) and calls them ‘remarkable in the same way as in America’ — possibly the same family (unproven).

In their lifetime

• 1776 — 1776 Census of Mennonites in West Prussia
• 1789 — 1789 First Prussian Mennonites settle in Russia
• 1798 — 1798 Old Bern falls; religious freedom
• 1833 — 1833 First Swiss Mennonite settler in Putnam County, Ohio
• 1835 — 1835 The Ramseyers sail on the Richmond

Pedigree

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  n6099635["Anna Blank (fl. 1770)"]
  n95735197["Hans Blank (arr. 1751)"]
  n6099635 --> n95735197
  class n6099635,n95735197 internal-link;

Sources

• Descendants of Jacob Hochstetler (1912)
• Mast Family History (1911)
• Lancaster deed of Jacob Hochstetler’s heirs (1776)

The Blank heirs' deed, 1798 (Lancaster County deed index)

31 October 1798, Deed Book D03, pp. 457 and 459, Salisbury Township: Christian & Barbara Umble, John & Catharine Hooley, and Joseph & Anne Hochstetter convey and release to John Blank, Christian Zug and Jacob Yoder. These are the six children of Hans and Magdalena Blank and their spouses, dividing the homestead two years after Magdalena died. It is the first original record tying Anna Blank, wife of Joseph Hochstetler, to the Blank family. (Index only; the deed image is not yet seen.) See Lancaster County Recorder of Deeds - online index (1729-).

Narratives and research

• Stories: The Hochstetler massacre of 1757
• History: 1776 Census of Mennonites in West Prussia, 1789 First Prussian Mennonites settle in Russia, 1798 Old Bern falls; religious freedom, 1833 First Swiss Mennonite settler in Putnam County, Ohio, 1835 The Ramseyers sail on the Richmond, Lancaster’s Swiss Mennonites, 1710s - backdrop and inroads
• Sources: Descendants of Jacob Hochstetler (1912), Lancaster deed of Jacob Hochstetler’s heirs (1776), Mast Family History (1911)

Research log

• 2026-10-31: Hertzler 1885, Fam. 554: daughter of Hans Blank and Magdalene (d. Apr 1796), first-named of six children, ‘married to Joseph Hostetler’; mother’s maiden name not given
• 2026-11-01: Lancaster deed index: ‘Joseph and Anne Hochstetter’ among the Blank heirs releasing to John Blank, Christian Zug and Jacob Yoder, 31 Oct 1798, D03 pp. 457/459, Salisbury Twp.: original-record support that Anna Blank, wife of Joseph Hochstetler, was Hans Blank’s daughter

Record compiled 31 October 2026.

About this research

Supporting documentation is linked throughout. This project is an exercise in AI-assisted research and development, and I haven’t manually verified every link or conclusion. All transcriptions and translations of Swiss parish records were made with AI, and their accuracy should be treated accordingly.