Kerchner / Kirchner / Karchner Surname Y-DNA Chromosome ID Project

Kerchner Surname Y-DNA Project Success Stories
Proved that immigrants Adam Kerchner and Frederick Kerchner who arrived
in Pennsylvania in 1741 and 1751 respectively were related.
Kit #577 represented Adam Kerchner clan and Kit #581 represented the Frederick Kerchner clan.
by: Charles F. Kerchner, Jr., P.E. and GGP (Genetic Genealogy Pioneer)

Kerchner's DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy Information and Resources Help Page

Kerchner Surname Genetic Genealogy Y-DNA Testing Project Home Page and Link to Results Data

Strategy and Course of Action to Using Y-DNA Testing to Solve the Puzzle and Successes To-Date
Project Started: February 2001 -- Last Updated: 18 January 2008

Early Disappointment: Kit #577 only matched Kit #581 at 10 of 12 Markers.
The Kerchner Surname Y-DNA Project was started to try and prove the surmise from traditional research that immigrants Adam Kerchner, who arrived in colonial Pennsylvania in 1741, and Frederick Kerchner, who arrived in colonial Pennsylvania in 1751, were probably related. And then ultimately to find the Kerchner male line in Germany we are related to and descended from, since traditional genealogical efforts to do that had run into a brick wall years ago. Unfortunately for us the initial 12 marker test yielded only a 10 out of 12 markers match. Given the knowledge base of this new Genetic Genealogy approach to helping solve traditional genealogy road blocks back in 2001 it was very disappointing because given the guidance from the test labs back in early 2001, it was assumed with that much of a mismatch on 12 markers that the two clans were probably not related within a time frame of genealogically relevant interest. Again based on the scientific data, evidence, and rules available in 2001 as to how to interpret results for males who shared the same surname but whose haplotype did not match 12/12 or 11/12 the testing company said our two lines were probably not recently related. And even today for most people a 10/12 close match with the 12 marker test ultimately indicates a non-relationship. But not one to give up easily since the traditional evidence hinting at a relationship between these two lines was urging me on, and being very interested in this new DNA testing tool to aide traditional genealogy research, I continued on with the project as the science progressed and the number of markers available to test increased and you will see later that we ultimately achieved a very positive result and success as the project evolved and we were able to establish a genetic genealogy link between these clans using DNA testing. That success, a 35/37 match between the two clans is ultimately described in Success Story #7 below. The initial 10/12 non-match is called in today's genetic genealogy lingo, a false-negative.

Success Story Step #1: The next step in the process, since the early participants did not match exactly, was to validate the haplotypes of the different early participants to be sure our respective haplotypes were indicative of our respective recent branches of the various descent branches. Thus my first success story in the Kerchner Surname Genetic Genealogy Project saga - I validated and confirmed the haplotype pattern for the Kerchner family of Macungie Twsp, Lehigh Co PA.
Verification was done by testing two second cousins who were known descendants of the 1741 immigrant to Pennsylvania named Adam Kerchner who settled in Berks Co PA which abuts Macungie Twsp, Lehigh Co PA. This particular branch of Adam's descendants remained near the original immigrant's homestead and settled nearby in the environs of Macungie Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Results for Kit #577 and Kit #784, who were second cousins of each other, exactly matched each other as was expected by their known close genealogical relationship. This provided a validated haplotype for this group of Kerchners to be used for comparison to other Adam Kerchner descendant clans who long ago left the local area. The local Lehigh Co PA Kerchners, via traditional genealogical research using local estate, land, church, and cemetery records were proven descendants of the 1741 immigrant to Berks Co PA, Adam Kerchner. The immigrant Adam Kerchner had only one known son who was named Frederick Kerchner, who in turn had four sons. This Macungie Township, Lehigh County PA, Kerchner haplotype became the initial reference haplotype for the other branches brought into the project until such time as I had enough information to deduce the what is now known as the Ancestral/Original Haplotype for Frederick Kerchner, the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of the various descendant branches. As I said Frederick Kerchner was the only known son of Adam Kerchner. Thus, while a mutational difference could exist between Frederick and his father Adam, it is most probably true that the deduced Ancestral Haplotype of Frederick Kerchner is also the haplotype of Adam Kerchner, the immigrant. Later testing in the year of 2006 of a third cousin, kit 51661, further validated the haplotype of this Kerchner group although this third cousin had a one step mutation difference from kits 577 and 784 at marker DYS439.

Success Story Step #2: Confirmed that a small Kershner group were really Kerchner descendants.
Kit #4085 had strong traditional genealogical evidence indicating that even though that descendant branch spelled their surname name with an S, they were probably descendants of 1741 immigrant Adam Kerchner. Their oral history reported that their descendant branch changed the spelling of their surname from Kerchner to Kershner as they moved west out of Pennsylvania. Research note: We must be careful with the Kershner surname spelling. There is a large group of Kershner decendants in the USA who are not related to the immigrant Adam Kerchner since Kerchner and Kershner are indeed two different German surnames although mispelling in records often confuses the two family groups. But in this case this small group of Kershners are instead Kerchners. The Y-DNA results proved this small group of Kershners were indeed descendants of the 1741 immigrant Adam Kerchner since the results for #4085 exactly matched for 25 out of 25 markers the results of #577 and #784.

Success Story Step #3: Validated and confirmed the haplotype pattern for the Karchner family of Sandusky Co Ohio.
Verification was done by testing two first cousins once removed who were known to be related members of the Karchner descendant branch in Ohio. Results for Kit #816 and Kit #8335 exactly matched each other as was expected by their known close genealogical relationship. This provided a validated reference haplotype for this group of Karchners.

Success Story Step #4: Confirmed that the group of Karchner family in OH are descendants of the 1741 immigrant to Pennsylvania, Adam Kerchner.
Kit #816 had strong traditional genealogical evidence that they are decendants of Adam Kerchner even though their branch changed the spelling of the surname to Karchner. Since the validated haplotype results for #816 and #8335 of the OH Karchner clan matched 12 out of 12 for the low resolution 12 marker test and later #816 and #8335 matched for 24 out of 25 markers in the higher resolution test to the validated haplotype results for kits #577 and #784 of the Macungie Twsp, Lehigh Co PA Kerchner clan, the genetic tests verified that they shared a recent common male ancestor which confirmed the traditional genealogical research evidence.

Success Story Step #5: Validated and confirmed traditional genealogy research for various descendant lines of 1741 immigrant Adam Kerchner.
Kits #577, #784, #816, #4085, #5726, and #8335 in the tables have an exact 12 marker match which when added to the fact that these individuals have the same or similar surnames indicates with 99% probability that they have a recent common male ancestor. Subsequent enhanced testing of an additional 13 markers further confirmed their very close genetic relationship. In addition the enhanced test results for Kits #2953 and #2998 confirmed the traditional genealogical research showing them to be descendants of the immigrant Adam Kerchner. Thus the genetic tests have totally confirmed the prior traditional genealogical research for individuals submitting Kits #577, #784, #816, #2953, #2998, #4085, #5726, and #8335 who by prior traditional genealogical research, were shown to be related and were descendants of the 1741 immigrant to Berks Co Pennsylvania, Adam Kerchner.

Success Story Step #6: Validated and confirmed the haplotype pattern for the Karriger/Kariger descendant group.
Verification was done by testing two distantly related descendant members of the Karriger/Kariger descendant branch in the MI and IN area. Results for Kit #581 and Kit #8670 exactly matched each other as was predicted by traditional genealogical research. As verified by success story step number seven these Karriger and Kariger descendants of the 1751 immigrant Frederick Kerchner have also been genetically linked to the descendants of the 1741 immigrant Adam Kerchner.

Success Story Step #7 - Goal Achieved: Proved that immigrants ADAM1 and FREDK indeed were probably related.
Kits #577 (a descendant of ADAM1) and #581 (a descendant of FREDK) at first only matched for 10 out of 12 markers in the initial 12 marker low resolution test. The 12 marker test was the best test available in 2001. Therefore at first we didn't think the Y-DNA testing yielded a positive result based on the data available for interpreting results with this new Genetic Genealogy tool in 2001. But with the new enhanced/refined higher resolution tests introduced in 2002 the two clans matched at 23 out of 25 and then ultimately matched for 33 out of 35 markers upon completion of additional Y-DNA testing using data merged from several independent laboratories. This clan also has a 35/37 match with the Ancestral Haplotype of the only son of the immigrant Adam Kerchner. This indicates that they probably do share a recent common ancestor who probably lived about 300-360 years ago. The immigrants statistically were probably uncle and nephew or 1st, 2nd, or 3rd cousins. This would correlate with them having the same surname, settling in the same area, but not having any known church baptism and/or legal records of close interaction between the two immigrant families, as usually would occur if they had been brothers. Or maybe if they were brothers they just did not get along with each other. But likely these two immigrants were probably not brothers based on the relationship observed in Pennsylvania but were a little more distant relatives, such as 2nd cousins. But most likely these two immigrants came from the same village or "county" in Germany. The genetics data definitely shows a recent common male ancestor for these two immigrants in a time frame of interest to us genealogists. See the Phylogenetic Network Diagram below which shows how the members of the ADAM1 branch represented by K577, K816, and K2853 tie together with the members of the FREDK branch represented by K581.

[Phylo Chart]

Success Story - continued Step #8. Determined the 37 Marker Ancestral Haplotype marker pattern for Frederick Kerchner, only known son of 1741 immigrant Adam Kerchner.
By comparing the various haplotype patterns for known 5th cousins it was determined that the 25 marker haplotype for kit #577 is most likely the original 25 marker haplotype for Frederick Kerchner, the only known son of the 1741 immigrant Adam Kerchner, since another direct descendant of a different son of Frederick Kerchner shared the exact same haplotype results to 25 markers of resolution, i.e., kits #577 and #4085 test results matched exactly. Descendants of other sons of Frederick have slightly different, minor variations in their haplotypes which are probably due to natural changes in their descendant branch lines over time. Since kit #577 and #4085, who are 5th cousins of each other, have the exact same 25 marker haplotype, and are descendants of two different sons of Frederick Kerchner, this indicates that their 25 marker haplotype pattern is the 25 marker haplotype of Frederick Kerchner, the only known son of the immigrant Adam Kerchner. Test results for the new 37 marker test indicates that Kit #4085 carries the 37 marker Ancestral Haplotype which was deduced by a logical analysis method now known as Triangulation, for Frederick Kerchner, the only known son of the immigrant Adam Kerchner. Interestingly, the family branch which moved west and changed their surname spelling sometime after the Civil War, is the one which retains the original ancestral haplotype for the Kerchner family line. The family oral history always told them they were Kerchners, and that their name spelling got changed somehow over the generations as their branch moved west, and now the DNA evidence has proved it.

Success Story - continued Step #9. Determined the 67 Marker Ancestral Haplotype marker pattern for Frederick Kerchner, only known son of 1741 immigrant Adam Kerchner.

FamilyTreeDNA.com Y-DNA Results
DYS Locus Allele Values/DYS Marker STR "Repeats" Numbers
Results from Initial 12 DYS Loci/Markers
			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Kit#	Participant's Surname Spelling & Geographic Locale of Participant	Immigrant Ancestor per Research and Henry Number	DYS 393	DYS 390	DYS 394 aka 19	DYS 391	DYS 385a FMM	DYS 385b FMM	DYS 426	DYS 388	DYS 439 FMM	DYS 389-1	DYS 392	DYS 389-2	Haplogroup or closest Suggested Haplogroup
581	Karriger Michigan	FREDK1 14A25111	13	24	14	11	11	15	12	12	12	13	13	28	R1b Suggested
8670	Kariger Indiana	FREDK1 14A23234	13	24	14	11	11	15	12	12	12	13	13	28	R1b Suggested
577	Kerchner Pennsylvania	ADAM1 11221782	13	24	14	11	11	16	12	12	12	13	13	29	R1b1 Confirmed P25 SNP Test
21349	Kerchner Pennsylvania	ADAM1 11221783	13	24	14	11	11	16	12	12	12	13	13	29	R1b1 Suggested
784	Kerchner Pennsylvania	ADAM1 112216A1	13	24	14	11	11	16	12	12	12	13	13	29	R1b1 Suggested
51661	Kerchner Texas	ADAM1 11227222	13	24	14	11	11	16	12	12	11	13	13	29	R1b1 Suggested
4085	Kershner Oregon	ADAM1 1116584	13	24	14	11	11	16	12	12	12	13	13	29	R1b1 Suggested
816	Karchner Ohio	ADAM1 11528111	13	24	14	11	11	16	12	12	12	13	13	29	R1b1 Suggested
8335	Karchner Ohio	ADAM1 1152841	13	24	14	11	11	16	12	12	12	13	13	29	R1b1 Suggested
5726	Kerchner California	ADAM1 11185312	13	24	14	11	11	16	12	12	12	13	13	29	R1b1 Suggested
2953	Kerchner Virginia	ADAM1 11184161	13	25	14	11	11	16	12	12	12	13	13	29	R1b1 Suggested
2998	Kerchner Massachusetts	ADAM1 11184115	13	25	14	11	11	16	12	12	12	13	13	29	R1b1 Suggested
3074	Kerchner Oklahoma	ADAM1 11171221 See Note 2	14	22	14	10	13	14	11	15	11	12	11	28	I Suggested

FamilyTreeDNA.com Upgraded/Refined PP3 Marker Suite Results
Results of 13 Additional DYS Loci/Markers
			13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Kit#	Participant's Surname Spelling & Geographic Locale of Participant	Immigrant Ancestor per Research and Henry Number	DYS 458 FMM	DYS 459a FMM	DYS 459b FMM	DYS 455	DYS 454	DYS 447	DYS 437	DYS 448	DYS 449 FMM	DYS 464a FMM	DYS 464b FMM	DYS 464c FMM	DYS 464d FMM
581	Karriger Michigan	FREDK1 14A25111	17	8	10	11	11	26	15	19	30	15	15	16	16
8670	Kariger Indiana	FREDK1 14A23234	17	8	10	11	11	26	15	19	30	15	15	16	16
577	Kerchner Pennsylvania	ADAM1 11221782	17	8	10	11	11	26	15	19	30	15	15	16	16
21349	Kerchner Pennsylvania	ADAM1 11221783	17	8	10	11	11	26	15	19	30	15	15	16	16
784	Kerchner Pennsylvania	ADAM1 112216A1	17	8	10	11	11	26	15	19	30	15	15	16	16
51661	Kerchner Texas	ADAM1 11227222	17	8	10	11	11	26	15	19	30	15	15	16	16
4085	Kershner Oregon	ADAM1 1116584	17	8	10	11	11	26	15	19	30	15	15	16	16
816	Karchner Ohio	ADAM1 11528111	17	8	10	11	11	26	15	19	31	15	15	16	16
8335	Karchner Ohio	ADAM1 1152841	17	8	10	11	11	26	15	19	31	15	15	16	16
5726	Kerchner California	ADAM1 11185312	17	8	10	11	11	26	15	19	30	15	15	16	16
2953	Kerchner Virginia	ADAM1 11184161	17	8	10	11	11	26	15	19	31	15	15	16	16
2998	Kerchner Massachusetts	ADAM1 11184115	17	8	10	11	11	26	15	19	31	15	15	16	16
3074	Kerchner Oklahoma	ADAM1 11171221 See Note 2	14	8	9	8	11	23	16	20	28	12	14	15	16

FamilyTreeDNA.com Upgraded/Refined PP5 Marker Suite Results
Results of 12 Additional DYS Loci/Markers
			26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37
Kit#	Participant's Surname Spelling & Geographic Locale of Participant	Immigrant Ancestor per Research and Henry Number	DYS 460	DYS GATA H4	DYS CA IIa	DYS CA IIb	DYS 456	DYS 607	DYS 576 FMM	DYS 570 FMM	DYS CDYa FMM	DYS CDYb FMM	DYS 442	DYS 438
581	Karriger Michigan	FREDK1 14A25111	11	11	19	22	16	15	17	17	36	37	12	12
8670	Kariger Indiana	FREDK1 14A23234	11	11	19	22	16	15	17	17	36	37	12	12
577	Kerchner Pennsylvania	ADAM1 11221782	11	11	19	22	16	15	18	17	36	37	12	12
21349	Kerchner Pennsylvania	ADAM1 11221783	11	11	19	22	16	15	18	17	36	37	12	12
784	Kerchner Pennsylvania	ADAM1 112216A1	11	11	19	22	16	15	18	17	36	37	12	12
51661	Kerchner Texas	ADAM1 11227222	11	11	19	22	16	15	18	17	36	37	12	12
4085	Kershner Oregon	ADAM1 1116584	11	11	19	22	16	15	17	17	36	37	12	12
816	Karchner Ohio	ADAM1 11528111	11	11	19	22	16	15	17	17	36	37	12	12
8335	Karchner Ohio	ADAM1 1152841	11	11	19	22	16	15	17	17	36	37	12	12
5726	Kerchner California	ADAM1 11185312	11	10	19	22	16	15	17	17	36	37	12	12
2953	Kerchner Virginia	ADAM1 11184161	11	11	19	22	16	15	17	17	36	38	12	12
2998	Kerchner Massachusetts	ADAM1 11184115	11	11	19	22	16	15	17	17	35	37	12	12
3074	Kerchner Oklahoma	ADAM1 11171221 See Note 2	10	10	19	21	15	14	16	19	35	39	12	10

Notes:
1. Cells with dashes in them, if any, indicates we are still awaiting test results or they were not tested for that marker.
2. Genetic test results for this participant did not match expected results of prior historical genealogical research evidence.
3. TBD = To Be Determined.
4. FMM = Faster Moving Marker per FamilyTreeDNA.
5. Allele values for markers DYS 464 a-d adjusted down by count of one each on 19 May 2003 due to lab nomenclature change for those markers.

Combined 37 Marker Haplotype Test Results Table for Kerchner Success Story Page

Combined 67 Marker Haplotype Test Results Table for Kerchner Success Story Page

Benefits of Participation
Some benefits of participation are:
1. You identify the genetic genealogy profile of your male family line.
2. You may identify your roots when traditional documentary genealogical research methods have failed.
3. Your results may identify information offering clues of where to focus and pursue additional traditional documentary genealogical research.
4. You may be able to verify once and for all that your traditional documentary genealogical work is accurate and scientifically verified.
5. You may get clues or help others get clues as to the village of origin in Europe of their immigrant ancestor.
6. If you live in Europe with a similar surname to one of our current participants you may find descendants and cousins living in the USA you did not know you had.
7. Your DNA will be preserved for the future at no additional cost. Thus, you leave something for posterity for use by future members of your family. This is especially important for older members of a family, especially if that older person is the last surviving male member of the family. Note: if that elderly person cannot afford the test another family member can sponsor and pay for the test.
8. You may identify new genetic cousins you did not know you even had.
9. You will be joining the ranks of the select few early Genetics and Genealogy Pioneers and will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are an early participant in a state-of-the-art project which is contributing to the world knowledge base for this new and exciting field, genealogy by genetics.
10. By donating a DNA sample now for posterity, your descendants won't have to dig you up later. :-)

To get your sample collection kit at substantially reduced cost, place your order through me as the Kerchner Group Coordinator and you will get the substantially discounted group rate price. When you are ready to order your kit, email me and let me know your complete name and postal mail address, and telephone number, and that you want to submit a sample and order a kit and I will place your order and get you the discounted price. You will receive your invoice directly from FamilyTreeDNA.com with your sample collection kit. As of January 2014 the Kerchner group discounted net prices are about $169 for the 37 Marker Y-DNA Testing Kit. The YDNA 37 marker test is the recommended test for new participants since it provides the desired genetic genealogy detail needed for this project. As you can see these prices within the group are substantially better than ordering directly from the testing company individually. For existing participants who wish to upgrade their results from the 12 marker test to the newer 37 marker test, the cost for Kerchner group members is about $99. Any questions, please contact me and I will be happy to try and answer your questions.

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Charles F. Kerchner, Jr.
3765 Chris Drive
Emmaus PA 18049-1544 USA
Email: Contact Me