Rev. Francis X. Feldmaier Biography


	This biography appears on pages 504-505 in "History of Dakota Territory" 
	by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				REV. FRANCIS X. FELDMAIER. 

	Rev. Francis X. Feldmaier, the beloved pastor of St. Stephen's 
Catholic church of Bridgewater, has labored effectively in his holy 
calling for the moral and spiritual development of the community. His 
birth occurred in Bavaria, Germany, on the 6th of May, 1879, his 
parents being John and Mary Feldmaier. He began his education in the 
parochial schools of his native place and in 1897 crossed the Atlantic 
to the United States and took up the study of philosophy in St. 
Lawrence College of Mount Calvary, Wisconsin. Subsequently he pursued 
the theological course in St. Paul Seminary of St. Paul, Minnesota, and 
was ordained by Archbishop Ireland on the 13th of June, 1904. 

	His first appointment took him to Columbia, South Dakota, where 
he also had charge of four out missions and remained until the spring 
of 1909. He was then appointed pastor at Ethan and on the 5th of April, 
1913, took charge of Bridgewater parish, which numbers fifty families, 
having remained pastor of St. Stephen's Catholic church to the present 
time. One hundred children are in attendance at the parochial school, 
where eight grades are taught by four Presentation Sisters. Father 
Feldmaier built the present parochial two-story brick residence and 
also erected the residence at Ethan and the church at Hecla. The parish 
at Bridgewater was established about thirty-three years ago and 
attended from Marion. Its present church is the third structure which 
has been built here, the others proving too small for the growing 
congregation. The parish consists principally of German-speaking 
people. 

	Father Feldmaier has fraternal relations with the Knights of 
Columbus and the Catholic Foresters. He is deeply interested in the 
moral and materiel development of this state, and his long and 
consecrated labors as a spiritual guide have done not a little to 
extend the growth and influence of the church which he represents.