Ferdinand Breimayer and Agatha Bower (Agata Bauer) are the ancestors of the Catholic Michigan Breimayers, many of whom are buried with them in St. Mary's Cemetery or a few miles away in St. Joseph's Catholic Church Cemetery, Belding, Michigan.

According to International Genealogical Index records, Ferdinand Breimayer was born March 5 or 6, 1831, in Andelfingen and Agata Bauer was born February 18, 1834, in Friedingen, neighboring villages in the Biberach district of Württemberg, the German state west of Bavaria. The Württemberg emigration records show that Agata made application to emigrate to North America in February, 1854, but no record can be found as to when Ferdinand emigrated or how and when they reached Michigan. However, there is a record of Ferdinand Breimayer as best man at the wedding of his friends Josepha Mahlenbrei and Stefan Rek from Andelfingen that took place in August 1854 in Buffalo, NY.

Ferdinand Breimayer's MI Death Certificate indicates ten children, eight living at his death in 1901. Until very recently, only nine children had been identified and linked to this memorial. The missing tenth child appears to have been their first child named
Elizabeth born in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. The children comprised:

Elizabeth Breimeuer , parents Ferdinand Breimeuer and Agatha Baur and godparents Charles Baur (Agatha's brother) and Josephine Mahlenbrey, born 21 November 1857 baptized 20 December 1857, died at about 10 weeks old (Ontario, Canada, Roman Catholic Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1760-1923-Ancestry.com);

Elisabetha (Elizabeth) Mary b. 27 Apr 1859 in St. Thomas d. Aug 28, 1936, m. William Little b. unknown, d. before 1890, then John P. Hinds b. 1848, d. 1914, interred as Elizabeth Little with several of her descendants in St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery;

Josepha (Josephine) b. Oct 18, 1861, c. Nov 1, 1861, godparents Carl Bauer and Josepha Mahlenbrei, m. John B. Fisher, d. 1939, interred in St. Mary's Cemetery;

Crescentia (Cynthia) b. Mar 1, 1864, c. Apr 1, 1864, godparents Willabateus? Eisele and Monica (Kreszentia?) Eisele, m. Charles E. Cowles, d. Mar 12, 1938, both interred in the Smyrna Cemetery;

Karl, b. Jun 5, 1866, godparents not known, d. Jul 28, 1866, buried in the Schneider Road Cemetery in Freedom Twp;

Carolum Ferdinandius (Charles Ferdinand) b. Aug 15, 1867, c. Sep 9, 1867, godparents Joseph Bauer and Josepha Mahlenbrei, m. Bertha Margaret Shindorf, d. Apr 7, 1961, both interred in St. Mary's Cemetery;

John Anthony (Anthony C.) b. Mar 8, 1870, c. May 26, 1870, godparents Joseph Bauer and Monica Schwartz, m. Mary Magdalene Kopp, d. Mar 13, 1962, both interred in St. Mary's Cemetery;

Josephum Franciscum (Joseph Francis.) b. Sep 9, 1872, c. Sep 24, 1872, godparents Fidelis Sickinger and Franceska Blum, Joseph b. 1873 according to his tombstone, m. Josephrinia Sophronia (Syfronia) Albert, d. Dec 11, 1926, both interred in St. Mary's Cemetery;

Anna Mary (Marie) b. Jan 15, 1876, c. Jan 23, 1876, d. Dec 13, 1943, godparents Joseph Bauer and Monica Schwartz, m. Rolland E. Bridges, Sr., b. Feb 1878, d. Jan 1963, interred in Oakland Cemetery, Carbondale, Illinois; and

Mariam Juliam (Julia) b. May 22, 1878, c. May 26, 1878, d. Dec 8, 1960, godparents Bernard Wurst and Maria Fisher, m. Ralph Ernest Russell, b. Oct 6, 1879, d. Sep 28, 1947, resided near Luther, Lake Cty, Michigan, both interred in North Park Cemetery near Luther.

Based on the births of their first two children, it may be presumed that Ferdinand and Agata may have married in 1854-1856 and first settled in the St. Thomas area most likely with friends and relatives until late 1859. Records from Washtenaw County show that Agata and Ferdinand purchased 20 acres at the NW intersection of Bethel Church and Schneider Roads in Freedom Twp in November, 1859, from a possibly related family and resided there until 1876 or 1877, Ferdinand earning a living as a farmer and wagon maker. A number of Agata's relatives including two brothers also settled in or near Washtenaw County and appear as godparents in the baptismal records of their children.

The family moved to Otisco Twp purchasing the Bricker farmstead at 3321 Hawley Hwy in October, 1877, and their last child Julia was born there in 1878. Ferdinand is reported to have been involved in the erection of the new St. Mary's Miriam Church, was organist at Mass and taught the choir to sing in Latin. The old church building was converted into a German School for the "Dutchtown" congregation, and there is evidence that one of Ferdinand's nephews, Bernard Wurst, stayed with them for a time possibly teaching in German at the school before joining other family members in Minnesota. He is named as godfather to Julia, their last child born in 1878.

The spelling of Ferdinand and Agata's surnames "Breimayer" and "Bauer" varies widely in U.S. records and English translations of German records. The following listing of ancestors and siblings reflect the spellings found in the records.

Agata's parents are Anton Bauer, b. Nov 2, 1802, and Maria Anna Herter, b. Jul 27, 1802, both in Friedingen, deaths unknown.

Agata's paternal grandparents are Joseph Bauer and Lucia Schoelldorf, both born in Friedingen, deaths unknown.

Agata's maternal grandparents are Johan Aurelius Herter of Friedingen and Antonia Boehler, deaths unknown.

Agata's siblings identified to date are:

Anna Maria Bauer, b. Mar 22, 1828, in Friedingen, d. unknown;

Johan Baptist Bauer, b. Feb 8, 1830, d. Apr 18, 1834, in Friedingen;

Lucia Baur, b. Dec 16, 1830, d. Dec 29, 1830, in Friedingen;

Carolus Bauer, b. Nov 23, 1831, in Friedingen, d. unknown, possibly in Ohio, believed to be the Carl Bauer named godparent of Josephine;

Josephus Bauer, b. Nov 23, 1832, d. Nov 29, 1832 in Friedingen;

M. Anna Baur, b. Jan 31, 1835, in Friedingen, d. unknown;

Magdalena Baur, b. Oct 13, 1836, d. Feb 23, 1845, in Friedingen;

Antonia Baur, b. Jan 12, 1838, in Friedingen, d. unknown;

Josephus Anton Baur, b. Apr 19, 1839 in Friedingen, m. Barbara C. Oberdorfer, emigrated and settled in Washtenaw County between April and September 1867 in time to act as godfather for Charles Ferdinand, death and burial in Washtenaw County (Find A Grave Memorials 55483340 and 55483370);

Johannes Baptista Baur, b. Jun 10, 1840, d. Feb 13, 1842, in Friedingen; and

Marcus Baur, b. Mar 7, 1843, d. Apr 17, 1843, in Friedingen.