Hello Elisabeth, My name is Jeff Hersey and I live in York County, PA. I have been working with Jacob Wilson Hershey of Lancaster County for some time trying to flesh our our European Trees. Perhaps you know him? We, along with Guillaume Hirschy of Alsace and Walter Hirschi of Switzerland have taken the big Y 700 DNA Test offered by Family Tree and have found we have a 90-95% chance of having a common male ancestor around 1600. Walter has assisted with Swiss research. My work agrees with you. My work shows that Isaac Hirschi, born 1639 in Schangnau, was a converted Mennonite who was forced to flee Switzerland in the late fall or early winter of 1671 with his lame sister, Anna. He was listed in the 1672 Mennonite Census as living in Sembach, Germany, and "was returning to Switzerland for his wife and children. I know his oldest son was Hans, followed by Magdalena and I believe his third child was Isaac, born 1666. There was a fourth child. My original immigrant, Isaac (1695), who came in the Great Mennonite Migration of 1717 to Philadelphia, was the grandson of 1639 Isaac. My Isaac's name was "Anglicized " to Hersey, as he moved to a religious colony in Maryland. In my research, I find no Franziest in any family. I think your suspicions are correct, I also suggest Mr. Funk-Hershey's conclusions are not correct. You may wish to check with Jacob Wilson Hershey about the sources we have accumulated. I believe his are closer to what you want, as my ancestor did not live in Lancaster County. If you need an email address for wilson, let me know.
