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 from Andelfingen who migrated with him, Josepha Mahlenbrei and Stefan Rek from Andelfingen and settled near Lansing, MI, 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 possibly 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.

Ferdinand's parents are Johann Nepomuk Breymeier, b. Mar 22, 1789, Andelfingen, d. Jan 25, 1836, and Maria Kreszentia Eisele, b. Mar 5, 1800 Andelfingen, d. Apr 8, 1879, both buried in Andelfingen.

Ferdinand's paternal grandparents are Ferdinand Braeumayer, b. Jan 17, 1749/50, in Andelfingen, d. Jun 2, 1828, and Agnes Goetz, b. 1766, Wilflingen, Donaukreis, Württemberg, Germany, m. Apr 21, 1788, both buried in Andelfingen.

Ferdinand's maternal grandparents are Johannes Baptist Eisele, b. May 3, 1758, Friedenau, Württemberg, Germany, d. Jul 2, 1828, and Monika Schneider, b. Apr 27, 1762 Andelfingen, d. Oct 25, 1832, both buried in Andelfingen,

Ferdinand's siblings identified to date are:

Joseph Breymeier, b. 1820, d. 1837 in Andelfingen;

Johann Michael Breymayer, b. 1823 in Andelfingen, m. Josepha Rek (b. 1820 in Andelfingen) in 1848, eleven children, m. Anna Maria Suendele (b. 1833 in Andelfingen) in 1860, eight children;

Klemens Breymayer, b. 1825 in Andelfingen, m. Maria Genofa Kleiner (b. 1827 in Andelfingen) in 1850, ten children;

Maria Agnes Breymayer, b.1827 in Andelfingen, d. 1913 in Wabasha, MN, buried in St. Felix Cemetery, Wabasha, MN, m. Gabriel Wurst (b. 1825, d. 1876 in Wilflingen) in 1847, thirteen children, eight of whom emigrated and settled in Minnesota and Wisconsin (See the Find A Grave Memorial 46764910 for Agnes Breimeier Wurst);

Elisabetha Breymayer, b. 1829, d. 1830 in Andelfingen;

Creszentia Braymaier, b. 1833, d. 1880 in Andelfingen, m. Anton Spegger (b. 1819) in 1859, twelve children; and

Elisabetha Breymaier, b. 1835, two children.