Double ancestors (pedigree collapse)
Christopher descends from some ancestors more than once. The Amish and Swiss Mennonite communities were small and married within a few congregations, so a couple’s descendants could marry each other generations later without knowing they were related. When that happens, one person fills two or more slots in the family tree. Each such person has more than one ancestor number in their note and the tag #pedigree-collapse.
This note maps every repeat in the vault as of 2026-11-01. A script traced every ancestor number down to Christopher and found where the lines rejoin.
The short version
- 19 people fill more than one slot. Jacob Hochstetler (1712–1776) and his father fill four slots each.
- All the repeats come from five marriages where two lines from the same ancestors met again:
| # | The marriage where the lines rejoin | Whose parents | How related the couple were | Shared ancestors | Side |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | the marriage of Christopher’s parents | Christopher | sixth cousins (and more distantly in three other ways) | Mast × Holly; Stutzman × Hochstetler; Jacob Hochstetler | Miller × Ramseyer |
| 2 | David D. Miller (1889–1976) × Maggie Mae Kuhns (1890–1970) | D. Paul Miller (1917–2018) | fourth cousins; also fifth cousins once removed | Christian Daniel Miller × Veronica Mishler; Jacob Hochstetler | Miller × Miller |
| 3 | David Schrock (1858–1903) × Fanny H. Plank (1857–1942) | Mary Ellen Schrock (1886–1972) | fourth cousins | Jacob Hochstetler | Ramseyer × Ramseyer |
| 4 | Abraham Mast (1802–1877) × Veronica Kurtz (1800–1845) | Mary Mast (1837–1908) | first cousins once removed | Abraham Kurtz × Barbara Bolinger | Miller × Miller |
| 5 | Christian C. Sprunger (1860–1940) × Rosina Reusser (1862–1950) | Bessie Sprunger (1889–1964) | second cousins | Peter Sprunger × Anna Röthlisberger | Neuenschwander × Neuenschwander |
The closest pair were the Kurtz cousins (no. 4) and the Sprunger second cousins (no. 5). The others were too distant for the couple to have known.
Christopher’s four grandparents divide the tree into quarters: Miller (D. Paul Miller), Wiebe (Anna Bertha Wiebe), Ramseyer (Alvin C. Ramseyer Jr.) and Neuenschwander (Ruth S. Neuenschwander). Only crossing no. 1 joins two quarters, the Miller and the Ramseyer. Crossings 2 and 4 fall inside the Miller quarter, no. 3 inside the Ramseyer quarter and no. 5 inside the Neuenschwander quarter. The Wiebe quarter (Russian Mennonite) has no repeats.
How the numbers work
Christopher is no. 1. Any person’s father is twice their number and their mother is twice plus one. So two numbers for the same person show two routes up the tree. Halving each number repeatedly walks the route back down. The two walks meet at the person whose parents were the cousin couple.
Crossing 1: the Miller side meets the Ramseyer side
D. Paul Miller and Alvin C. Ramseyer Jr. were fifth cousins, so their children (Christopher’s parents) are sixth cousins. Both grandfathers descend from the Northkill Amish of Berks County, Pennsylvania, who arrived together in 1737–1750. They are related in four separate ways:
The Stutzman crossing also repeats Christian Stutzman’s father and grandfather, Jacob Stutzman (son of the 1727 immigrant) (844/1052) and Johann Jacob Stutzman (arr. 1727) (1688/2104).
One family on Alvin’s side carries two of these at once. Christian Hostetler (1801–1875) was the son of John Hostetler (a Hochstetler grandson) and Barbara Mast (a Mast–Holly daughter). Christopher reaches both the Hochstetlers and the Masts through him.
flowchart TB JH["Jacob Hochstetler × Anna<br/>(arr. 1738; Northkill)"] JM["Bishop Jacob Mast × Magdalena Holly<br/>(arr. 1750)"] CS["Christian Stutzman × Barbara Hochstetler"] JH --> CS JH --> JoH["Joseph Hochstetler"] --> JHo["John Hostetler"] JM --> BM["Barbara Mast"] JHo --> CH["Christian Hostetler (1801–1875)<br/>son of John and Barbara"] BM --> CH CH --> FP["… Fanny H. Plank"] CS --> MS["Magdalena Stutzman"] --> DS["… David Schrock"] FP --> MES["Mary Ellen Schrock"] DS --> MES MES --> AR["Alvin C. Ramseyer Jr.<br/>RAMSEYER SIDE"] JH --> JoHn["John Hochstetler"] --> MK["… Maggie Mae Kuhns"] JM --> CM["Christian Mast"] --> MM["… Mary Mast"] CS --> FS["Fanny Stutzman"] --> EM["… Eli D. Miller"] MM --> NM["Noah E. Miller"] EM --> NM NM --> DM["David D. Miller"] DM --> DP["D. Paul Miller<br/>MILLER SIDE"] MK --> DP DP --> C(("Christopher")) AR --> C
Why Jacob Hochstetler appears four times
Jacob Hochstetler (1712–1776), the survivor of the 1757 attack, is reached through three of his children:
| No. | Through | Then | Side |
|---|---|---|---|
| 636 | son John | Anna (Anelli) Hochstetler → Sarah Miller → Nisly → Slabaugh → Maggie Mae Kuhns → D. Paul Miller | Miller |
| 1054 | daughter Barbara (Mrs Christian Stutzman) | Fanny Stutzman → Keim → Weaver → Eli D. Miller → Noah → David D. Miller → D. Paul Miller | Miller |
| 846 | daughter Barbara again | Magdalena Stutzman → Susanna Yoder → Moses Schrock → David Schrock → Mary Ellen Schrock → Alvin Ramseyer Jr. | Ramseyer |
| 880 | son Joseph | John Hostetler → Christian Hostetler → Nancy → Fanny Plank → Mary Ellen Schrock → Alvin Ramseyer Jr. | Ramseyer |
That makes two routes on each side. The two Miller routes meet at D. Paul Miller (crossing 2) and the two Ramseyer routes meet at Mary Ellen Schrock (crossing 3). His father Jacob Hochstetler (c.1666–c.1722) follows him into all four slots (1272, 1692, 1760, 2108).
His wife Anna Hochstetler (killed 1757) now also fills four slots (637, 847, 881, 1055). The 1912 Hochstetler book lists Barbara among the children of Jacob and the wife killed in 1757, so Barbara was linked to her as mother on 2026-11-01 (a family compilation; the book never says it in so many words).
Crossing 2: D. Paul Miller’s parents
David D. Miller and Maggie Mae Kuhns were fourth cousins. Their nearest shared ancestors were Christian Daniel Miller (c.1734–1777) and Veronica Mishler (c.1736–1785):
- To David: their daughter Fanny Miller (b. 1769) → Veronica Kurtz (1800–1845) → Mary Mast (1837–1908) → Noah E. Miller (1860–1910) → David D. Miller
- To Maggie: their son Abraham Miller (1766–c.1821) → Sarah Miller (d. 1857) → Susanna Nisly (1816–1885) → Magdalena Slabaugh (1847–1925) → Maggie Mae Kuhns
Veronica Mishler’s parents Joseph Ulrich Mishler (c.1700–1756) and Anna Dorothea Mueller (c.1700–1789) (542/543 and 634/635) and her grandfather Ulrich Mishler (b. 1688) (1084/1268) repeat with her.
They were also fifth cousins once removed through Jacob Hochstetler: David through Barbara Stutzman’s line (via Eli D. Miller), Maggie through John’s (via Anna “Anelli” Hochstetler). Sarah Miller (d. 1857) carries both lines into Maggie’s family: her father was Christian Daniel Miller’s son and her mother was Jacob Hochstetler’s granddaughter.
flowchart TB CDM["Christian Daniel Miller × Veronica Mishler"] JH["Jacob Hochstetler"] CDM --> FM["Fanny Miller"] --> VK["Veronica Kurtz"] --> MM["Mary Mast"] --> NM["Noah E. Miller"] CDM --> AM["Abraham Miller"] JH --> JoH["John Hochstetler"] --> AH["Anna (Anelli) Hochstetler"] AM --> SM["Sarah Miller (d. 1857)"] AH --> SM SM --> SN["Susanna Nisly"] --> MSl["Magdalena Slabaugh"] --> MK["Maggie Mae Kuhns"] JH --> BH["Barbara Hochstetler × Christian Stutzman"] --> FS["Fanny Stutzman"] --> EDM["… Eli D. Miller"] --> NM NM --> DM["David D. Miller"] DM --> DP["D. Paul Miller"] MK --> DP
Crossing 3: Mary Ellen Schrock’s parents
David Schrock and Fanny H. Plank were fourth cousins, both great-great-great-grandchildren of Jacob Hochstetler:
- To David: daughter Barbara (Mrs Christian Stutzman) → Magdalena Stutzman (fl. 1772) → Susanna Yoder (1791–1855) → Moses Schrock (1828–1909) → David Schrock
- To Fanny: son Joseph Hochstetler (c.1746–1812) → John Hostetler (d. 1807) → Christian Hostetler (1801–1875) → Nancy Hostetler (1836–1860) → Fanny H. Plank
With Barbara now linked to Anna as her mother, they were full fourth cousins, descended from both Jacob and Anna.
Crossing 4: Mary Mast’s parents (Kurtz)
Abraham Mast and Veronica Kurtz were first cousins once removed. Both descend from Abraham Kurtz (arr. 1749) and Barbara Bolinger (arr. 1749) (Phoenix, 1749):
- To Abraham Mast: their son Abraham Kurtz (1753–1831) → Susanna Kurtz (fl. 1800) (who married Christian Mast) → Abraham Mast
- To Veronica: their son Joseph Kurtz (fl. 1800) → Veronica Kurtz
Veronica’s mother was Fanny Miller, so this same marriage also carries the Christian Daniel Miller line into crossing 2.
flowchart TB AK["Abraham Kurtz × Barbara Bolinger<br/>(Phoenix, 1749)"] AK --> AJ["Abraham Kurtz (1753–1831)"] AK --> JK["Joseph Kurtz (b. 1765)"] AJ --> SK["Susanna Kurtz × Christian Mast"] SK --> AM["Abraham Mast (1802–1877)"] JK --> VK["Veronica Kurtz (1800–1845)"] AM --> MM["Mary Mast (1837–1908)<br/>Miller side"] VK --> MM
Crossing 5: Bessie Sprunger’s parents (Swiss)
Christian C. Sprunger and Rosina Reusser were second cousins, both great-grandchildren of Peter Sprunger (1757–1840) and Anna Röthlisberger (b. 1762). This is the only repeat that started in Europe; the family moved from the Swiss Jura to Adams County, Indiana.
- To Christian: their son Abraham Sprunger (1797–1889) → Peter R. Sprunger (1825–1898) → Christian C. Sprunger
- To Rosina: their son Johann Sprunger (1793–1853) → Katherine Sprunger (1833–1904) → Rosina Reusser
flowchart TB PS["Peter Sprunger × Anna Röthlisberger"] PS --> AS["Abraham Sprunger (1797–1889)"] --> PRS["Peter R. Sprunger"] --> CCS["Christian C. Sprunger"] PS --> JS["Johann Sprunger (1793–1853)"] --> KS["Katherine Sprunger"] --> RR["Rosina Reusser"] CCS --> BS["Bessie Sprunger (1889–1964)<br/>Neuenschwander side"] RR --> BS
Everyone who repeats
| Ancestor | Numbers | Crossing |
|---|---|---|
| Peter Sprunger (1757–1840) | 240, 252 | 5 |
| Anna Röthlisberger (b. 1762) | 241, 253 | 5 |
| Jacob Mast (1738–1808) | 264, 442 | 1 |
| Magdalena Holly (c.1740–1820) | 265, 443 | 1 |
| Abraham Kurtz (arr. 1749) | 268, 532 | 4 |
| Barbara Bolinger (arr. 1749) | 269, 533 | 4 |
| Christian Daniel Miller (c.1734–1777) | 270, 316 | 2 |
| Veronica Mishler (c.1736–1785) | 271, 317 | 2 |
| Christian Stutzman (d. 1770) | 422, 526 | 1 |
| Barbara Hochstetler (wife of Christian Stutzman) | 423, 527 | 1 |
| Michael Holly (arr. 1750) | 530, 886 | 1 |
| Joseph Ulrich Mishler (c.1700–1756) | 542, 634 | 2 |
| Anna Dorothea Mueller (c.1700–1789) | 543, 635 | 2 |
| Jacob Hochstetler (1712–1776) | 636, 846, 880, 1054 | 1, 2, 3 |
| Anna Hochstetler (killed 1757) | 637, 847, 881, 1055 | 1, 2, 3 |
| Jacob Stutzman (son of the 1727 immigrant) | 844, 1052 | 1 |
| Ulrich Mishler (b. 1688) | 1084, 1268 | 2 |
| Jacob Hochstetler (c.1666–c.1722) | 1272, 1692, 1760, 2108 | 1, 2, 3 |
| Johann Jacob Stutzman (arr. 1727) | 1688, 2104 | 1 |
How much of the tree is repeated
“Slots” is how many ancestors each generation should have; “known” is how many slots the vault has filled; “people” is how many different people fill them.
| Generation back | Slots | Known | People | Filled by a repeat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–5 (parents to 3rd-great-grandparents) | 62 | 60 | 60 | 0 |
| 6 (4th-great-grandparents) | 64 | 50 | 50 | 0 |
| 7 | 128 | 40 | 38 | 2 |
| 8 | 256 | 33 | 29 | 4 |
| 9 | 512 | 24 | 18 | 6 |
| 10 | 1,024 | 12 | 9 | 3 |
| 11–12 | 6,144 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
(The parents’ two slots are not counted as filled because living people aren’t recorded in the vault.)
Repeats start at generation 7 (the immigrants and their children, born about 1700–1770). In generations 8–10 about a fifth of the known slots are repeats. This is a minimum: only about one slot in eight is known at generation 8, and the missing slots are mostly the same intermarried Amish families. More repeats are almost certain.
Not yet mapped: likely further repeats
These would add crossings if proved. Each is a lead, not a link:
- Barbara Hochstetler’s mother (2026-11-01): the 1912 book lists Barbara among the children of the wife killed in 1757; linked, so Anna now fills four slots.
- Veronica Fanny Kurtz (1811–1889) (no. 109, Ramseyer side), checked 2026-11-01: a probable sixth crossing. The 1889 Wayne County biography of her son names her parents as Abraham and Magdalena Kurtz. A Kurtz family genealogy identifies him as Abraham Kurtz (1769–1830), a grandson of the immigrant Abraham Kurtz (arr. 1749) through one of the two sons of his first wife (also a Bolinger, Barbara’s sister). So the immigrant Abraham Kurtz is Christopher’s ancestor on the Ramseyer side too, which makes the two Veronica Kurtzes first cousins once removed. It isn’t in the numbers yet: the son between them (Christian or Jacob) is unknown.
- Magdalena Mast (wife of John Yoder) (no. 445), checked 2026-11-01: born about 1725–35 (her son b. c.1754), so not a daughter of Bishop Jacob Mast; her family is still unknown. No crossing found.
- Yoder on both sides: Frany Yoder (fl. 1784) (no. 257, Miller side, perhaps daughter of Christian Yoder of Berks Co.) and Barbara Yoder (widow, immigrant) (no. 889, Ramseyer side), as well as John Yoder (Somerset pioneer). task/ai
- Stauffer on two sides: Christian Stauffer (1802–1892) (Neuenschwander side) and Barbara Stauffer (17th c.) (Ramseyer side). Common Emmental name, a long shot. task/ai
- Swiss Schwarzenburg lines (Guggisberg, Wahlern): several lines come from the same few parishes, where intermarriage before emigration is likely. task/ai
Not repeats for Christopher, though often mentioned with them: Alvin C. Ramseyer Sr.’s two wives were first cousins, but Christopher descends from only one wife. Two Smiley sisters married two Ramseyer brothers, but Christopher descends from only one couple. These created double cousins in other branches of the family, not in Christopher’s own tree.
The Pedigree collapse dashboard lists everyone with the tag.
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.