One of my Baltimore German families maps interconnections between the Mullers, Hipchens, Gerstners and Ruffers.
A quick recap. In the baptismal registers of Holy Cross and St Michael’s Catholic churches in Baltimore godparents for the children in the families above tend to be in a relatively closed circle. Witnesses on marriage records are also in this circle. It turns out that George Hipchen married Margaret Gerstner and Joseph Ruffer married Mary Gerstner. They are likely sisters. Both are from Oberschwarzach.
Joseph Muller’s connection is somewhat more difficult. He is also from Oberschwarzach. He married Annie Hildl (from Kasl) in 1889. Witnesses where Joseph Ruffer and John Gerstner (Garsten). His parents are given as Michael Muller and Anna Maria. In her marriage record, Mary Gestner’s folks are listed as George Gerstner and Anna Maria. Furthermore, if it is correct, Josef Muller immigrated on the Cimbria in 1882 with Christian and Margaret Gerstner (but they entered in New York, not Baltimore). I think the simplest explanation is that Anna Maria is the same woman who married first Michael Muller and second George Gerstner. This can explain the closeness of the Gerstner and Muller families.
The Gerstner/Muller family from Oberschwarzach, Bavaria
Anna Maria & Michael Muller
b 1853 – Joseph Muller
Anna Maria & George Gerstner
b 1861 Margaret Gerstner (m George Hipchen)
b 1865 Christian Gerstner (lives in NYC)
b 1867 Mary Gerstner (m Joseph Ruffer)
b 1870 John Gerstner (m Barbara Scheussler)
see Anna Maria of Oberschwarzach
In this way all would be siblings or half siblings.
The city directories of Baltimore also show the families together at different addresses throughout the 1890s and 1900. Furthermore, the orphaned children of Joseph Muller are later to show up at these addresses, presumably taken in by their (half) aunts.
Here is a map to give a sense of the complexity of the interrelations.
1901 - Valentine Reitz..Joseph Miller--1923 Mary Miller
1892 Joseph Ruffer
1906 George Hipchen - 1939 Joseph and Mary Ruffer
1892 George Hipchen-Joseph Miller. Joseph Ruffer-1890 George Hipchen
1890 John H Miller - 1898 Joseph Miller
1883 Joseph Miller--1890 George Hipchen