Life and evidence
( Mast Family History, 1911, footnote to fam. 943)
“Elizabeth Yoder was the daughter of John Yoder and Barbara Reichenbach, who was the son of John Yoder and Magdalena Mast, who was the son of Barbara Yoder, whose husband died at sea coming to America.”
Which Mast family she belonged to is not stated. (Bishop Jacob Mast’s sister, also Magdalena, married Michael Troyer, so this is a different Magdalena.)
Which Mast family? (checked 2026-11-01)
A 1972 article in The Diary (Rickenbach family series) says her son, John Yoder “Preacher Yotter Hannes”, was born about 1754 and that her husband John Yoder was born around 1725. So she was probably born about 1725–35, in the same generation as Bishop Jacob Mast (1738–1808) or older. She was not his daughter, and not his sister Magdalena (who married Michael Troyer). She could belong to an earlier Mast immigration (a Mast family was in Pennsylvania by the late 1730s), or be a cousin of the bishop. No source found names her parents, so no new double-ancestor link here for now.
Children in this vault
Sources
Narratives and research
- Stories: Double ancestors
- Sources: Fisher - The Rickenbach Family (The Diary, 1972)
Research log
- 2026-11-01: The Diary (Gordonville, Pa.), May 1972, Rickenbach family series (archive.org diary04oldo): their son John Yoder (‘Preacher Yotter Hannes’) b. about 1754, brother of Bishop ‘Rote Yost’ Yoder; his father John Sr. b. around 1725. So Magdalena was born about 1725–35: too early to be a daughter of Bishop Jacob Mast (b. 1738) and not his sister Magdalena (m. Michael Troyer). Her Mast family is still unknown
- 2026-10-31: Hertzler 1885 (Brief Biographic Memorial of Jacob Hertzler) (Fam. 513 and 383 notes) and Mast 1911: named only as John Yoder’s wife; which Mast family she came from is not stated
Record compiled 1 November 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.